Omega Dawn
by projectfreq91
Summary: Sora is dead. His killer's name is Ruxik, and one dead Keyblader is not enough for him. He commands powers Riku and Kairi can barely imagine, and Kairi's undying love for Sora is tearing her apart. Yet if Ruxik survives, the worlds have no hope. Post-KH2.
1. A Fallen Legend

_A/N: This takes place about three years after KHII with no regard to the bonus video and its mini-spoilers._

_There might be a sequel…depends on how much I enjoy writing this and how often you people read it! ;) Get the hint?_

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts (Disney and Square Enix do, but I wish I did!) nor "Returning the Smile You Have Had from the Start" (Emery does)._

**I. A Fallen Legend**

_Now as your body lets you die_

_And I sit here, still alive_

_In my memory I wrote you down in ink_

_I never wanted to erase your story_

_Even with the tragedy it brings_

_I'm not ready for you to die_

**Emery-"Returning the Smile You Have Had from the Start"**

No one could believe it, but that didn't make it any less real.

Into the earth a casket was lowered. Engraved into the lid was an ornate design of two crossing swords shaped like keys, the design only given to the bearers of the Keyblade.

Its latest wielder, Sora of the Destiny Islands, was dead.

Riku looked out on this scene, robed in funereal black. As the casket was lowered, he forced himself to keep looking. He had barely come to grips with the fact that he wouldn't see Sora again. Both of them had gone to incredible lengths to help the other, and now one of them was gone. A tear slid down Riku's cheek, and he wiped it away quickly. He had to be strong because there was someone whom he didn't want to witness any weakness. That someone was Kairi.

She had taken Sora's death worse than anyone which was understandable, considering that she and Sora shared a heart. She had been wracked with grief ever since she saw him dead. She was one of two people to actually witness Sora dying, and the memory haunted her day and night.

_Kairi was awakened from her slumber by a loud shout…it sounded like Sora's voice. Sprinting to his room, she found his door locked. "That's…odd…" she thought. Pulling out her Keyblade, she unlocked the door…and cried out in agony._

_She saw Sora lying in a pool of blood with a gash across his chest. Standing above him was a man in a thick black hooded cloak…much like what Organization XIII members wore…but they were gone, weren't they? _

_The figure pulled down the hood to show that he was no member of the Organization that Kairi recognized. He had black hair that reached almost down to his shoulders, piercing gray eyes and a smile that showed that something was awry—and he had caused it._

_"One Keyblade wielder down, two to go!" the mysterious man said with a humorless laugh. He looked at Kairi. "Say goodbye to your friend, girl. He might not say much back to you, I'm afraid. Being dead makes speech a bit difficult."_

_Kairi stood in shock, not fully understanding. Then the impact of his words hit her, and rage consumed her. "You killed Sora?! I'll tear you apart!" She charged the figure with the Keyblade at the ready._

_The mysterious figure suddenly began to levitate out of an open window. He laughed at Kairi. "Foolish girl, now you meet your doom!" He threw the Keyblade that was formerly Sora's directly to Kairi…and it disintegrated into sparks of light that flew up into the black night sky. _

_The cloaked man frowned. "Of course the Keyblade chooses its own master…no matter. Treasure your days, girl. Not many remain. Tell your friends that this was just the beginning; all the Keyblade wielders shall fall at the hands of me, Ruxik!" With a maniacal laugh the cloaked villain disappeared into a black flame. _

_With a cry of anguish Kairi fell to her knees just as Riku burst into the room far too late…_

Riku snapped back to reality. Donald and Goofy were up on the podium, saying all of the nice things about Sora and his bravery and loyalty and worthiness to wield the Keyblade. It did nothing to help Riku's emotions.

Kairi was next to the podium, and she could barely contain herself. She still managed to say touching words of how she felt for Sora, even going so far as to say that she loved him. That word killed Riku—Sora had felt the same way for Kairi. He had told Riku the day before his death that he was going to propose to Kairi the next day. Riku's feelings for Kairi had long dissipated; they were still great friends, but Riku knew that Sora deserved to have Kairi and easily accepted the relationship between the two that had lasted more than a year.

This reminiscence ended when Riku realized it was his turn to speak. Walking to the podium, he forced himself to get a grip and then spoke.

"Many of you here may not know me very well," he began (citizens of many worlds had attended this funeral). "My name is Riku, and I was a friend of Sora's for years. And I can say without a doubt in my mind that Sora is the most loyal friend one could ever have. I had done things I never should have done; I allowed the darkness to use me like a pawn so I could meet my selfish desires. Sora never stopped trying to save me even when under the control of a Heartless I tried to kill him. I tried to kill him again after an enchanted castle made my memory lie to me, but he kept questing to save me, finally meeting me as we fought Organization XIII. Now I can only regret the dark things I had done to him. He was an incredible friend who knew when to buckle down and get serious as well as to lighten up and have fun. Words cannot describe this Keyblade bearer properly. I can only hope that my memories of him will be fitting of this powerful Keyblade wielder, world-renowned hero and most loyal of friends."

Another tear slid down his face with his last sentence. He slowly walked away from the podium and tried to return home when the funeral ended.

A large cloaked figure got in his way.

Riku drew Way to the Dawn, assuming it might be Ruxik who had killed Sora. He looked up…and saw the wise old face of Yen Sid who was wearing a huge black cloak.

"Oh, my apologies, Master Yen Sid," Riku said with a reverent bow. Yen Sid nodded.

"Riku, tomorrow there shall be a meeting. Matters surrounding Sora's death must be discussed. I request that you shall be there."

"I will be there, Master," Riku said. With a nod Yen Sid walked off and allowed Riku to continue on his way. Riku's mind was now wondering what the focus of the meeting would be. The name Ruxik rattled in his mind.

_Ruxik…why does that sound so familiar? I know I've never heard it before…_

_Whoever he is, I'll make sure he pays for what he's done—to Sora, to Kairi…to everyone. He's going to pay._


	2. Passing the Torch

_A/N: I was going to have a song for each chapter, but instead I'll have songs at pivotal and fitting moments._

_The name of Kairi's Keyblade is my own idea. If it does have another name that you are 100 sure is real and not something spawned on a message board or other fanfic, PLEASE let me know, and I will be very grateful!_

_Here's the belated second chapter. Enjoy and review!_

**II. Passing the Torch**

The annoying buzz of a digital alarm clock woke Riku…or rather forced him to stop trying to sleep. Rest wouldn't come to Riku no matter how hard he tried. Sora's death, the mystery of Ruxik, Kairi's fragile emotional state…all weighed heavily on his mind. Actually the latter wasn't just in his thoughts; he could hear Kairi sob from her house next to his. Riku pitied her terribly and wanted nothing more than to put his arm around her shoulder and comfort her. However the last thing he wanted was Kairi thinking that he was making a move on her, and with her mind in this condition that was fairly likely. So he shut his windows and tried to block out the sound of her grief. When that failed, he decided to do a little late-night training; he was always preparing in case of another Heartless or Nobody attack.

However that didn't make sleep any easier, so he was grateful for his alarm sounding and reminding him to attend the meeting about which Yen Sid had told him. Quickly getting dressed in a dark blue vest over a dark red muscle shirt (he had outgrown his yellow vest and bright blue shirt), he walked out of his small wooden house slowly, trying to find the location of the meeting.

Suddenly he felt his body being sucked towards a small black vortex in the sky. Fearing the worst, Riku drew his keyblade as his leg was swallowed by the vortex…and stuck there. Stranger still the vortex moved, dragging him with it. It stopped over a rocky cove that made an arc near shore where many people seemed to be. Riku heard Donald's quacking laughter.

"Let me down, you stupid duck!" Riku shouted. Donald laughed even harder but still managed to end the Magnega spell he had put on Riku, letting him fall to the ground. It was all Riku could do not to strike back with some kind of magic, but a childish battle in front of Yen Sid would probably be inadvisable. He dusted off the sand and respectfully bowed to King Mickey and Yen Sid before glaring at Donald who simply laughed and shrugged.

"Now that everyone is in attendance we can begin this discussion," Yen Sid stated slowly. Riku looked around to see that 'everyone' meant Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, Aeris and other heroes and heroines from many worlds. Kairi seemed to have a decent hold on her emotions, and Riku was glad for that.

Yen Sid and spoke in a firm stern voice. "We are all aware of the terrible event of Sora's death, but in the wake of that tragedy there are certain things that need to be done. Certain matters must be discussed. And now I must pose a question of the utmost importance to all of you." He looked out among the crowd before stopping at Kairi. "Kairi has told us that Sora's killer called himself Ruxik. Has any one of you met this figure in the past? Does the name ring a bell? Any leads?"

Riku thought for a moment before standing. "Master, all I can say is that when I heard the name, something sounded instantly familiar. I have no idea why, but I feel it must be said."

Yen Sid nodded gravely. "Thank you, Riku. Now does anyone else have any ideas?"

Everyone looked at somebody else and murmured. Leon eventually stood up. "With all due respect, Master, no one else here has heard anything about him or heard his name."

Yen Sid nodded once again. "Well, then all of you should keep eyes and ears open. Now on to the second matter…the fact that this person came here to do harm is disturbing. Such evil can only mean the Heartless or Nobodies are near. Be sure to alert me if they come to your world so that I can summon necessary troops. And now we shall progress to the final, lighter subject…" He passed a glance at Riku and Kairi.

"With the passing of a Keyblade bearer a new one is appointed when the blade's powers are needed. Considering this Ruxik fellow and the growing power of Maleficent, I would say that the need is present. Sora was granted the blade in a dream, but his situation was unique. Now, all of you, try to draw a Keyblade. If you are its new master, it should come naturally."

A flurry of arm-waving and intense concentration followed. Riku stood blankly with a question on his mind. "Master, Kairi, the King and I already bear Keyblades…why should we do this?"

Yen Sid gave Riku a stern condescending look not unlike a disappointed parent. "In addition to being mighty weapons all of the Keyblades have different powers. King Mickey's shuts the door to darkness; Sora's had the power to open the door to light. Kairi's makes light stronger in one's heart; yours can conquer darkness in one's heart. We must know who bears one of the most powerful of Keyblades. That is why I am asking this of you and Kairi."

Riku felt rather sheepish. "Yes, Master. I apologize for my doubt." With no hesitation he drew his Keyblade…and Way to the Dawn appeared just like it always had.

Kairi followed suit…and the Kingdom Key appeared in her hand instead of her usual White Rose. "Master Yen Sid!" she called.

Yen Sid smiled. "The new Keyblade bearer has risen!" The crowd of people looked to see Kairi triumphantly holding the Kingdom Key high above her head.

Riku stared at the scene in awe. He was glad that Kairi now bore this blade; maybe it would get her mind off of what had happened of late. It had a slightly different look this time; the yellow square hand guard was now laced with red streaks, and the silver blade seemed a few shades darker.

"Now, Kairi, you must take the Oath of the Keyblade Bearer. Embed the blade in the ground key-first." Kairi stabbed the blade into the soft white sand.

"This weapon has immense power. In the wrong hands it could be the catalyst for a disaster. Do you swear to ensure that you alone possess this blade?" Yen Sid asked with an official air.

"Yes." Kairi's smile had faded slightly to fit the mood, and her sapphire eyes darkened just a little.

"This weapon is only given to the purest and most just of people. Do you swear to use it only for what you think is best?"

"Yes."

"This weapon is given to those who will one day open the door to light. Do you swear to do this when the time comes?"

"Yes."

This last line rang a bell in Riku's head. _Sora said…that dream…he was supposed to open the door…then again they shared a heart…maybe it was all a metaphor…_

Yen Sid's smile returned. "Then I must borrow your blade to pronounce you the bearer of the most powerful weapon in all of the worlds, the Keyblade!" Kairi drew the sword from the sand and handed it to Yen Sid. Gingerly he tapped her once on each shoulder and once on the left side of her chest where her heart resided.

"Kairi, you are now officially the Keyblade bearer, and may your days with this blade be long and righteous!" A wild cheer rose up from the crowd. Kairi beamed and pointed the sword skyward.

Only Riku was close enough to see the words she mouthed: "For you, Sora."

---

Through a crystal ball filled with black and green fire a tall young man in a black hooded cloak watched this scene. He smiled with a grin that exuded evil.

"This could not have worked out better," he said triumphantly. "Now feel free to work your magic and poison her just like Riku. With Sora gone she shall fall quite easily. Are you ready, Maleficient?"

The demonic form with black cloak and long scepter grinned wickedly. "Always. I've been waiting for this moment. So much power and it shall be ours to control! Just be ready when my task is complete…Ruxik."

The male figure pulled off his hood, revealing a head of shoulder-length black hair and a face that radiated cunning and dark power. "My life has been spent waiting for this moment. Of course I shall be ready."


	3. Dark Plans and Memories

_A/N: Thanks, singintoyourself, fallenxxangel and sexymonkey08 for reviewing! _

_Feel free to join them!_

_Sorry, this won't be updated for a bit…I need to work on my other story. And sorry this took so long! Ideally it would have been up a few days ago._

**III. Dark Plans and Memories**

Kairi and Riku walked back towards their houses as Kairi brandished her new weapon like she had used it for years. She was clearly delighted with this new power.

"I can't believe it! Me? Keyblade Master…Mistress? Nah, Master sounds better. Mistress sounds kinda wimpy, but Master…that sounds so cool! But Yen Sid said I'm the first Princess of Heart to have a Keyblade…so am I Keyblade Princess? Nah, I'll go with Master. I'm going to lead all the battles, and I'm going to learn magic, and…" She kept talking a mile a minute while Riku politely smiled and nodded. Yen Sid's words were on his mind. _So Kairi could strengthen light with her old Keyblade…I wonder who gets it? It sounds like a handy power. We could make an army of anti-Heartless that way…eh, best not to get ahead of myself._

Lost in thought, Riku didn't realize that Kairi had stopped speaking while he kept smiling and nodding. Kairi looked to him, faking outrage.

"You weren't listening, were you?" she pretended to pout. She smiled and shoved Riku who was caught off guard and fell in the sand. He rubbed the sand from his eyes as Kairi laughed and offered a helping hand. Riku took it and felt a charge ripple through his veins. _No, no, no, no, no, no…you don't like her, you don't like her, you don't like her, you don't like her…_

Kairi felt the same charge; Riku was shaking. _He seemed like he was over me…this is new…_ As she helped pull him up, Riku dusted off his sand-covered clothes and looked up to Kairi.

"I've gotta go…Donald and Goofy are making some tweaks on the Gummi Ship…bye!" He ran off, trying to shake the thoughts from his mind and leaving Kairi flustered and confused.

---

Riku found himself under the new Gummi Ship, Galewind. Cid had come from Radiant Garden to test his new Omniradar Gummi which could see any object that it crossed by, including portals to other worlds. Cid was very proud of this invention, and Donald and Goofy thought it'd be quite handy in chasing down Maleficent and Ruxik. Riku agreed although his mind was on other things. While he wired up the Gummi as he was ordered, he kept thinking about what had happened with Kairi.

_I don't like her. It's that simple. But if she likes me…no. She can't. Sora just died. No way she can recover that fast. She loved him. Sora loved her. I can't take that away from her._

_But if she really has feelings for me…no. Can't let this happen._

_But maybe…_

Such dialogues raged in his head until he had finally convinced himself of the right thing to do. As soon as doubt crept into his mind, he involuntarily shook his head, loudly hitting the thick sturdy Gummi.

"Argh…" Riku groaned before realizing that he was nearly done the wiring job. He connected two final wires and pushed himself out.

"All clear, Cid." The Gummi ship master was at the ship's computer, installing a program that would recognize Omniradar, and consequently he couldn't hear Riku. So he took a moment to look out. The quaint but not-too-sturdy wood planks of the Seaside Shack took up most of his view, but a glance out the window showed that it was late afternoon. The yellow sunlight danced on the outgoing tide as Riku stared on in awe. For a second he imagined him swimming with Sora and Kairi and having a blast…then Cid brought him back to earth.

"You got the wiring done?" he slowly spoke in his leisurely drawl.

Riku turned. "All set," he responded. "Can we try it out?"

Cid shook his head. "Not today…the program's gotta do some stuff. Should be done by tomorrow, I'd think." He waited until Donald and Goofy appeared from the back of the ship (they were tweaking the engines.) "Thanks for the help, guys. I appreciate it." With a brief wave, he left the shack.

Riku headed for the door soon after. "If you guys need me, I'll be at my house, training, ok?" Donald and Goofy nodded a farewell as Riku tried yet again to take his mind off of the recent events.

---

An hour passed as Riku slashed and stabbed and shot magic at all of his targets and dummies he had made to simulate Heartless. Nothing could distract him sufficiently, so at last he gave up and began searching for Kairi.

He walked all around the island as the sun set, turning the sea water into a beautiful golden-amber color. Kairi normally spent these times on the dock overlooking the sea with Sora…maybe she'd be there. Riku had learned that she was always at her happiest during these times.

_And you're trying to replace Sora in that scene? Shame on you. This is the right thing to do, and you know it._

Sure enough as he came to the dock, Kairi was sitting there, dangling her legs over the edge and looking out across the ocean.

"Kairi!" She turned and saw Riku. "Can I talk to you for a bit?" She nodded, and Riku pulled himself up onto the dock near Kairi.

"Listen, about what happened earlier after the meeting…" Riku looked at the ground for a bit before regaining composure. "I don't want you to think…" He lost his words again. _Come on, brain, work already!_ "I don't have feelings for you. I didn't want you to think that I did."

Kairi nodded. "Okay…"

Having said the hardest part already, Riku spoke a little more naturally. "I just…I don't think it's right anymore. I've done too much against you that I can never forget, and I can't take Sora's place. What happened this morning…it just kinda brought up some old feelings. I don't want anything to change between us—or between you and your memories of Sora."

Kairi nodded again, this time with a tear falling down her cheek. She quickly turned away and wiped it off. "Riku…that's really noble and sweet…" She looked up at him again. "And I know exactly what you mean." She looked out on the ocean again. "I still miss him terribly. But…the Keyblade has some incredible powers…maybe there's something we could do for Sora."

"I wish I knew how we could save him…" Riku began. Kairi quickly cut him off.

"But that's not the point right now." She looked back at Riku. "I'm the lead Keyblade wielder now, and I have to get my mind off of that stuff."

"I guess…" Riku followed Kairi's gaze to the horizon.

Kairi looked up at him. "But thanks for looking out for me. I just…kinda need to be alone right now."

Riku nodded. "Understood," he said calmly. He walked away, glad that this burden was off of his chest.

_Alright, it's over. No chance between me and her. We're set. Now I can focus on getting stronger…and finding this Ruxik. _

---

Kairi sat there, still looking across the sea. _Sora would have loved to be here…I wish he was…at least Riku understands what I'm going through…but Sora…why? I'll never be able to forget him…_

"You miss your lover, do you not?" An ominous female voice sounded behind Kairi.

"I know that voice…" Kairi jumped to her feet and drew the Kingdom Key. "Maleficent!"

The demoness smiled. "So you remember me, O Princess of Heart." She began to approach her. "Don't worry; I'm not here to harm you. If I was, you'd be dead already."

Kairi relaxed just slightly. "Then what do you want?"

"What if I could promise your reunion with Sora? Would you listen to my plans?"

Kairi withheld a gasp before remembering who Maleficent was and how deceitful she could be. "I don't listen to traitors. This is a trick, and I know it!"

Maleficent shook her head. "Come now, I lie not. Think. Sora…alive and with you…and all at a low price. All I ask is some of your power, and then you would be with your lover.

"No! You're a liar and a freak, and I want no part of your plans! Say another word, and I'll make sure you say no more!" Kairi held her Keyblade low and pointing upwards, bent her knees and hunched slightly.

Maleficent laughed. "You even hold your blade like Sora. Think about my offer. Perhaps you shall change your mind. I'm in no hurry." With that a darkly colored flame appeared, and the Heartless-controlling witch walked into it. Kairi threw her Keyblade, but the flame disappeared before the blade could make contact.

She walked to it and picked it up slowly. _She's got nerve, doesn't she? She's got another thing coming if she thinks I can be tricked so easily!_


	4. The Facets of the Heart

_A/N: Thanks to sexymonkey08 and fallenxxangel for adding this to their story alerts, singintoyourself, fallenxxangel, and sexymonkey08 for reviewing, and singintoyourself and sexymonkey08 for the favorite story add!!!_

_So I said this would be late because I was working on my other story. I'm not really enjoying that one, so I'll be devoting more time to this one!_

_I don't own anything but the plot and Ruxik._

_Please review!_

**IV. The Facets of the Heart**

Maleficent walked through her dark flame into The Castle That Never Was. She had never bothered to rename the place after claiming it for her own. It had taken her years to get the Nobodies fully under her control; they were a new challenge for her. However she knew that they could be a valuable addition to their army, so she strove to conquer them while the castle's silvery white paint faded and chipped away and the name remained the same.

None of this particularly mattered to Ruxik who was standing near the flame with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"A poor choice of words, Maleficent. 'I'm in no hurry', you say? Maybe you aren't, but I am, and you shall gain nothing if my plan fails!"

Maleficent was annoyed at being berated by someone much younger than her (Ruxik didn't look to be more than twenty, and she was hundreds of years old). "She won't believe us if we rush her. Do you want the girl or not?"

Ruxik shook his fist in anger. "Want her? My whole plan depends on having her! And I must have her before a certain time, or she is of no use to me!"

"Well, what time is that?" Maleficent asked impatiently.

Ruxik looked at the gray stone floor for a second as if in thought before answering. "I cannot say exactly when…"

"Ha! So you have no reason to scold me, young whelp!"

"…Let me finish!" Ruxik's steely gray eyes flashed an angry spark. "I must have her before she is done grieving. She must not be allowed to forget Sora, or my plan will be scrapped."

This was news to Maleficent. "And why is that?"

Ruxik calmed down noticeably before speaking. "I had access to some extensive research on the human heart. Some of the most fundamental features of the heart are called its Facets." He pointed to the massive Heartless emblem Maleficent had on a wall. "That symbol…do you know why it is divided into four sections?"

Maleficent shook her head.

"It is because there are four Facets of a darkened heart: Rage, Vengeance, Greed (or Lust--the two are very similar) and Hatred." He pointed to a different section of the emblem as he said each Facet. "Likewise the heart of light has four Facets as well, and they are the opposite of those of darkness: Wrath, Justice, Purity and Compassion. When the Facets of darkness gain hold in a heart, the vessel (the person that the heart inhabits) can easily become a Heartless. If even one Facet grows strong, it can overwhelm the heart. The same is true for light. If a heart is strong in Rage, Vengeance and Greed but also in Compassion, the three Facets of dark may be conquered by the one Facet of light."

Maleficent nodded. "Very interesting. But how does this affect your plan?"

Ruxik smiled slightly. "I discovered that there was yet another Facet. It is Grief. Grief can turn into a Facet of either light or dark, depending on the actions of the person whose heart grieves. For example Grief can be conquered by moving on in life and simply letting the Grief pass. Or it may cause one to treasure loved ones more and strengthen Compassion."

His smile grew wider. "Of course it can also work in a different way. It may cause the person to wallow in Grief and never escape, or it can stir Vengeance or Rage in a heart. And remember, if one Facet of darkness grows strong, it can conquer the light in one's heart. Do you now understand my plan?"

Maleficent pondered this new information for a moment before grinning evilly. "I do. I must say it's quite impressive."

Ruxik nodded. "Now you see why we must hurry. Kairi must have Sora on her mind as much as possible, or my plan could be lost."

"But wait. Kairi is a Princess of Heart and a Keyblade wielder. Her heart is strong…"

"Not strong enough to resist Grief if my plan works. Soon her Grief will become Lust, and her heart will be mine. And then Riku and Mickey will fall as well, and the worlds will be under my rule."

Maleficent nodded. "But how did you learn so much about the heart?"

Ruxik smirked. "Remember who I am. I was rather close to someone who devoted his life to the study of the heart…and even closer to his apprentice." With his cloak flowing and silver chains clattering he strode to the crystal ball filled with black and green fire that flowed like water—everything Maleficent owned seemed to have that odd flame. His smirk grew wider as he saw the scene before him. "But now let's watch the plot unfold, shall we?"

* * *

Gray skies, cold raw rain and powerful winds kept Kairi inside. With Riku training in his basement she was completely alone with nothing but her thoughts of Sora. She could (should) have been training with Riku to get a better grasp of sword fighting or with Yen Sid to improve her magic, but her heart just wasn't in it. With the weather keeping her from distracting herself she kept thinking back to days she had spent with Sora. With this on her mind she went pulled out a photo album. The first picture she saw was one Riku had taken of her and Sora at a school dance with a few mutual friends. All of them were smiling brightly and clearly having a good time. The photo brought back all kinds of memories… 

_Kairi walked down the hall towards a glowing red exit sign. Destiny Island High wasn't far from her house, so she walked home. Sora lived further away, so he normally rode the bus which was why Kairi was surprised to see him walking alongside her. He looked a bit flustered; his spiky brown hair was even more randomly placed than usual, and his well-tanned skin couldn't hide an obvious blush. _

_"Hey, Kairi, you busy tonight?" he asked awkwardly. Kairi thought nothing of it for a moment._ Probably some party at his house or something_, she thought. _He IS pretty popular after all. I guess that's part of being a hero….

_"Well, I was going to go to the dance with a few friends…why?" she replied, not at all suspecting Sora's next sentence._

_Sora cleared his throat and laughed nervously. Regaining composure, he looked Kairi in the eye and asked, "Will you go with me?"_

_Kairi's heart missed a few beats. _No…way…it finally happened!!! _Since returning to the Destiny Islands they had been great friends, but Sora didn't want to risk ruining that by going any further. It was obvious that he liked her, and Kairi liked him, but she didn't want to force anything. And now she didn't have to…_

_"Of course I'll go with you, Sora."_

_Sora looked visibly relieved. "I'll meet you there then?"_

_Kairi nodded. "See you at seven."_

_"See ya," Sora said as he walked away. Just before Kairi walked out, she heard at a triumphant shout. Kairi grinned at Sora's poor ability to contain his emotions. She didn't release her pent-up scream of joy until reaching home…_

Instead of smiling at the happy memory, a tear fell down Kairi's cheek. Putting the album away, Kairi noticed a polished hardwood box with a golden lock. She was about to dismiss it because she didn't have the key… "Oh yeah, Keyblade, right." She tapped the box gently with the Kingdom Key and watched it open, revealing dozens of shiny metal objects with chains…

"Keychains!" Kairi exclaimed. She looked at the treasures with wonder, knowing that these were what gave Sora's weapons different powers. One chain in particular caught her eye. It was a simple golden star, but she knew from where it came. Another memory resurfaced in her mind…

_In a damp sewer beneath Traverse Town Sora and Kairi stood quietly. After saving her Sora had returned to the safety of the town but now had to leave to conquer Riku--or more correctly Ansem--once and for all. Kairi begged to go with him, but, fearing for her safety, Sora refused. Kairi finally gave in and decided instead to give Sora her good-luck charm._

_"It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me," she said. Sora held the beautiful star in his hand and swore that he'd make sure Kairi got it back…_

Kairi shut her eyes to stop another tear from falling. She looked at her Keyblade and removed the silver keychain that was a symbol of King Mickey. In its place she attached the star, and with that her Keyblade changed. Two white rods connected an ornate wing-shaped hilt with a blade that looked like an X with a blue rod through it. It was Oathkeeper.

_Well, if it's called Oathkeeper, maybe I should make some kind of oath,_ Kairi mused. Pointing her Keyblade skyward, she made her vow. _I swear that I will do whatever it takes to bring Sora back. _She stood in this manner for a few seconds, letting the impact of her vow sink in.

A knock on her front door interrupted her thoughts. "Kairi? It's Riku." Kairi took a deep breath to calm down, dismissed Oathkeeper and then opened the door.

Riku stood on her doorstep under a Reflega spell to avoid getting wet. "Yen Sid wants to see us at his place in Twilight Town…I think he wants us to refine our magic and stuff like that."

"Sounds good, but when?"

"Whenever. I think ASAP would be best personally. Don't want to keep someone like him waiting."

"Alright, then let's go." Kairi walked out and quickly ducked under Riku's Reflega. "This so beats using an umbrella," she joked.

Riku laughed. "Yeah, once I figured out how to make it last, this spell came in handy." The two walked to the Gummi Ship in its cove where Cid, Donald and Goofy were waiting under another Reflega (presumably Donald's).

"You need to get to Twilight Town, I hear, but I think y'all are rookies at this Gummi Ship game," Cid said in his unique drawl. "So we're gonna have to show ya how it's done."

Riku nodded. "Whatever. Just make sure we get there."

* * *

Ruxik had to stop himself from bursting out laughing. "This is too perfect! Now Kairi will have Sora on her mind whenever she draws her blade. And that photo album could be useful to us as well. The more memories she has, the better. We may not have to do much more work, Maleficent."

Maleficent shook her head. "That Riku is not one to be underestimated. He knows our ways of manipulating hearts; he could catch on and stop this."

Ruxik didn't seem to care. "You've forgotten who I am again. I know Riku like the back of my hand. If he intervenes, I'll make sure he doesn't do it again."

Maleficent smiled slightly. "You certainly get around, Ruxik."

Ruxik looked up from the crystal ball. "Let's just say I have connections with the right people."


	5. A Wasted Journey and Dreams

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, SupernaturalFreak101, PrincessKeira, and fallenxxangel for reviewing! Also thanks to PrincessKeira and SupernaturalFreak101 for the story alert adds!_

_Sorry this took so long…had to write a review for another site I frequent ( and MARCHING BAND CAMP (!) started on Monday, so time is limited._

_I own nothing but the plot and Ruxik. __**Please**__ review!_

**V. A Wasted Journey and Dreams**

The ride to Twilight Town went smoothly; Cid's excellent skills as a pilot saved the passengers from any serious danger. Riku made a bet with Donald on who would kill more enemies which was a mistake; Donald was an expert marksman, and Riku barely knew what he was doing, so after winning by roughly a hundred enemies, Donald had gained six hundred Munny.

"You're such an idiot, Riku," Kairi said after they had landed in Twilight Town next to Yen Sid's tall gray stone tower and said farewell to their pilots. "Making a bet with someone who knows Gummis like the back of his hand…wing, whatever… while you don't even know how to turn the thing on…what were you thinking?"

"That I could get six hundred extra Munny, obviously," Riku countered. "That's the life of a gambler. You win some; you lose some."

Kairi sighed in exasperation before walking up to the front door of the tower. She knocked politely but got no response. She knocked again, and no one came. She knocked as loud as she could, but the door didn't move.

"Kairi, this tower is massive," Riku said, walking up to the door as well. "He could be at the top for all we know. You've got to make sure the sound carries!" With that he took both fists and pounded on the door with incredible force multiple times. A sound like a bass drum echoed throughout the tower, and the door seemed to splinter a bit, but still no one appeared. Kairi snickered under her breath.

"Alright, that didn't work. I'm just walking in and explaining later," Riku stated defiantly. Opening the door with Way to the Dawn (only Kairi noticed that it was unlocked), he walked into the lobby. "Master Yen Sid?" he called. All he received was his voice echoing. Another call garnered nothing. "Okay, guess we're going up then." He looked up the staircase and stopped when he saw the large orb of green and white light that was at its top.

"Umm…" He walked towards it, trying to identify it. "Any ideas?" he queried as he turned to Kairi.

She shrugged. "My best guess is a portal. Yen Sid doesn't look like the type to walk up a lot of stairs."

Riku sighed. "Has he ever heard of an elevator?"

"Yen Sid also doesn't look seem the type to use an elevator when magic will do."

"Good point." With that he walked into the orb and disappeared. Assuming her theory was correct, Kairi followed suit…and found herself at the bottom of another much longer staircase. Riku stood next to her with his Keyblade ready.

"Nobodies thrive in this world. I'd keep your guard up if I were you," Riku said in a hush as if Nobodies only attacked when they knew they were expected. They slowly crept up the stairs without a single Nobody appearing. Walking through a wooden door, they let their guard down and kept walking.

"Maybe Yen Sid got rid of them," Riku guessed. Just as he said so, a Dusk appeared. Kairi was slightly more alert than Riku and immediately charged, slicing Oathkeeper through the Dusk's torso. It fell to the ground and disappeared in a burst of gray.

"Nice work," Riku said, impressed. "Alright, so the Nobodies are still here. Don't listen to me when I say otherwise."

"Have I ever listened to you?"

"Well, don't start now."

"Fine by me." The kept walking, clearing out the few Nobodies (mostly Dusks and Assassins) they found. They reached yet another staircase. This one was straight instead of spiraling like all the others, so Riku hoped that this was the end of the stairs; it got quite tiring. However the welcome party at this staircase was much more than a few Dusks. A squadron of Samurais stared at their foes blankly.

"Alright, be tactical here," Riku whispered. "Wait till you can get them in a duel—"

"Didn't you say not to listen to you?"

"I take it back."

"Fine." Kairi stood patiently with Oathkeeper ready. She tried to look a Samurai in the eye before realizing it didn't have any. Suddenly she felt a weird whistle emanate from one of the Samurais, and time seemed to stop. She instinctively knew that this was what Riku had meant by a duel. She seemed frozen, but eventually she felt she could move again. At this time she charged her foe and slashed it rapidly, defeating it instantly.

"That's the way!" Riku called as he unleashed a Thundaga spell on two Samurais that were attacking him. The spell seemed to finish them off, and Riku stood there, panting.

"Why are you so tired?" Kairi asked, confused. "That fight lasted for…ten seconds!"

"For you," Riku replied, still breathing hard. "When you were dueling that Samurai, you were standing there for about five minutes. You're outside of time when you duel a Samurai."

"Hmm…" Kairi pondered this for a bit. "That's an intriguing concept…leaving time…"

"Come on, we're at his office; let's get in already!" Riku shouted. He ran up and stopped dead. He saw a note…

_Riku and Kairi,_

_In the event that you come I will not be here. The King has required my presence, and I do not know when I shall return. Feel free to find a place to stay in the residential area of Twilight Town. I apologize for not being present at this time._

_-Yen Sid._

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Riku shouted. "We did all that work, killed all those Nobodies, and he's not even here? Come on! And why'd he make us walk up here just to read the note?"

"Riku, stop whining and shut up!" Kairi yelled angrily. Surprised at this outburst, Riku fell silent. "You're forgetting another issue; thanks to your bet with Donald we don't have any money to buy a room!"

Riku looked a bit distressed as the impact of that statement hit him. "Don't you have any?"

Kairi shook her head. "Didn't expect this to happen. Besides, it's getting late." Before Riku could interrupt (it always looked late here; it was called Twilight Town for a reason), Kairi walked down the staircase into the last room they had entered and pointed to an ornate golden grandfather clock. "It's eleven. Maybe we can just crash here?"

Riku nodded. "Sora mentioned the three fairies that gave him his new clothes…maybe they have an idea."

Unfortunately said fairies were nowhere to be seen, so a despondent Riku and Kairi simply decided to spend the night in Yen Sid's office until realizing that there was nothing remotely resembling a bed in there. An idea popped into Kairi's head soon after.

"Of course! The Usual Spot! Hayner, Pence and Olette know me; they wouldn't mind if we stayed there!" Kairi said excitedly. Riku nodded approvingly, and the two hurried out of the tower, hopped on the train that went between the two sectors of the town, and navigated her way through Twilight Town fairly easily. The little section of alley that made up the Usual Spot was empty, leaving several vacant couches. To the exhausted pair they could have been king-size beds, and they fell asleep on them almost immediately.

---

_Riku was falling through the air and at first saw nothing. Looking down, he saw seven white circular platforms that formed another circle. As he continued to fall, he saw that the platforms had bright colors. Falling further, he could make out seven pictures, all of women. He recognized none of them save one._

That's Kairi!_ He thought. He realized that he was going to land on this platform, so he braced himself, not expecting the smooth landing he received. _

_"So you have come, Riku," a distant voice said. Riku drew his Keyblade and turned frantically, searching for the voice's source. He saw a figure in a thick hooded black cloak with silver chains…_

_"Ruxik!"_

_"Correct." The figure pulled off his hood to reveal black hair that fell to his shoulders, metallic gray eyes, and a smirking face. He didn't appear to be much (if any) older than Riku. Riku sensed an oddly strong familiarity in this face, and yet the two had never met; of that he was sure._

_"What do you want of me?"_

_"I want nothing of you but your death, but the time is not right. There is something else that I want, and if you care for Kairi, you shall give it to me."_

_"I won't give you anything! You killed Sora!"_

_"Give me what I want unless you want to join him!" Ruxik's gray eyes shone with anger as he pulled out an odd weapon. It looked like a staff, and as he charged, Riku could see blades. Instinctively he lifted his Keyblade and parried all of Ruxik's blows. Going on the offensive, he slashed downward-blocked. A quick pivot and a slash to Ruxik's side-blocked. A fake to the left before stabbing towards his torso-Ruxik almost sent the blade flying before countering by putting the blade of the staff to Riku's throat—_

_---_

"What the—Kairi! Hayner, Olette, look! Kairi's back…and who's this?"

The excited voice of Pence, once again wearing his red basketball jersey and his black hair in a style that resembled a shock of wheat but black, awakened Riku and Kairi several hours too early for their tastes. Hayner and Olette followed, also all wearing the same clothes in which Kairi had seen them the last time (_Coincidence_? She wondered).

"Hey guys! This is my friend Riku. We were trying to find a place to spend the night, so we decided to crash here. Is that okay?" Kairi asked in a friendly tone.

"Of course!" The trio replied in unison. Riku groggily stood up from the couch on which he slept, realizing that his encounter with Ruxik was only a dream. He said a polite "Hi" to Hayner, Pence and Olette before his keen eye caught the movement of several lithe gray bodies and one rather tall, thick one with a large hammer.

"Nobodies! You three, move it! Kairi, get your Keyblade and get ready!"


	6. Hidden Power

_A/N: Much thanks to singintoyourself and fallenxxangel for reviewing! _

_I own the plot, Ruxik, Light's Return, and Conqueror Form, nothing else. Reviews make me happy!_

**VI. Hidden Power**

A blur of chaotic activity ensued: Hayner, Pence and Olette quickly dove behind a couch, Riku drew Way to the Dawn and began attacking an Assassin that had appeared, and Kairi drew Oathkeeper before charging a Dusk.

_Oathkeeper? Huh? She must have found Sora's box of Keychains…_Riku didn't dwell on it much longer as the Assassin began swishing its spiky tentacles. Holding his Keyblade out to block the attacks, he waited till the Nobody was tired before jumping, pulling it into the air and forcefully throwing it back down. Just as it was about to strike back, Riku shoved his Keyblade straight through it as he fell back to earth and watched it disappear. Looking around, he quickly saw a Berserker in its hammer form heading towards Kairi, spreading shockwaves as it pounded the ground.

Kairi was mostly unaware of this as she focused on a group of three Dusks that stood in front of her, swaying from side to side in an oddly graceful way. She leapt to the side so that the Dusks were in a straight line before her and threw Oathkeeper. Like a boomerang it spun, cutting holes in the Dusks' gray flesh, before returning to Kairi for a second throw. This time each Nobody collapsed on the return. Satisfied she turned around to face the hammer-form Berserker charging her. Her face was possessed by fear for a second before she braced herself with her Keyblade and shouted, "Reflega!" The hammer staggered backward before reverting back to its titanic humanoid shape. It swung its hammer like a club, but Kairi ducked and rolled towards the Berserker and slashed upwards across its chest. Her foe not yet finished, she followed it up with a slash from its head downward, cutting its torso in half, and the Berserker was finished.

Unfortunately eight of its kind were now joining the fray with Dusks, Assassins and Samurais in tow. Riku and Kairi suddenly realized the full size of the force before them. _There's no way we can take them now, _Riku thought. _She's still new at this. _An idea popped into his head.

"Kairi! Point your Keyblade at me; I'm going to Drive!" Kairi nodded and did so. She felt a rush of power surge through her body and Oathkeeper as a beam of light headed towards Riku. It hit him with a sound like breaking glass, and all was dark for a second as Riku gained the power of a second Keyblade. When light was restored to Twilight Town, Riku was no longer wearing his red muscle shirt, blue jacket and jean shorts. Now all of his clothes were golden; Kairi's power had sent him into a Drive unique to him, Conqueror Form. Riku felt incredible power coursing through his veins and the weight of another Keyblade in his right hand; it resembled Oathkeeper except for its extremely dark blue color and sturdier, thicker build. The name of the blade suddenly popped into his head: Light's Return.

"Yeah!" Riku let out an uncontrolled scream of delight with his newfound power. He jumped into the air (this form gave him flight) and cried, "This is the end for you!" He pointed Way to the Dawn and Light's Return at the Nobodies and charged a burst of energy through his weapons. Beams of blinding light escaped the two blades and tore through dozens of Nobodies. Pleased with the result, Riku tried a similar attack but this time pointed his Keyblades at either end of the approaching arc of foes and brought the Keyblades (and thus the beams) closer like a closing claw. Finally he let the blades touch at the points, and an incredible explosion of light and wind resulted, wiping out all of the Nobodies present.

Slowly Riku descended, proud of his work. Hayner, Pence and Olette peeked out from behind their couch cautiously. Seeing no danger, they came out shouting "That was awesome!" and "Dude, how do you DO that?!" towards Riku who just smiled modestly, wowed by his own power. He had never Driven before; he just thought it would be helpful. As he had found it, it was.

Olette averted her gaze momentarily to see Kairi frozen in place, pointing Oathkeeper outwards. "Um, is she okay?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah, once I go back to normal, she'll be fine," he answered. With that he mentally dismissed his power out of him, and it returned to Kairi, enabling her to move again and returning Riku to his old self. Though she had been motionless, she had seen the battle unfold, and she was pleased to see Riku's incredible work.

"I hope I can be that strong," Kairi said to him, looking at her Keyblade a bit sadly.

"Don't worry; you're the Keyblade Master now. You'll probably be even stronger," said Riku comfortingly.

"How come Sora never did that stuff?" Kairi asked.

Riku pondered this for a second. "Well, the King always said I had a stronger heart than Sora. And every Keyblade wielder has different powers; we can't manipulate light the way the King can."

Kairi nodded. "True."

The quintet headed back the Usual Spot, laughing and joking. They hung out for the rest of the day, telling each other about themselves and the experiences through which they'd lived. The three Twilight Town residents were now in college (apparently they hadn't grown much, Kairi decided), but since it was summer, little had happened lately, and they found Kairi and Riku's stories to be much more interesting. Riku was afraid he'd be turned away after telling the trio his story of his time in darkness, but they didn't seem to care as he went on to say how he had conquered the darkness in his heart and had been restored to his own body by Ansem the Wise's powerful machine. As Riku finished his tale, he noticed that the three denizens of Twilight Town seemed like they were suppressing great joy when he mentioned that Roxas was reunited with Sora. _Well, he was friends with them. I guess it's good news, but they might not ever see him again except as a part of Sora._

After Riku and Kairi had finished their stories, Pence spoke up. "So how long are you two going to stay?"

"Until Yen Sid asks for us," Kairi answered, "but that could be a while. He's on business with King Mickey, but he didn't tell us what it was."

"I say don't worry about it," said Riku. "Yen Sid can take on whatever the King needs."

"Well, until this guy calls you back, you're welcome to stay with us," Olette offered politely.

"That sounds great; thanks," Riku replied. Kairi nodded in agreement.

"Sorry to trouble you like this, but if a certain someone hadn't made a stupid bet—"

"Oh, shut up about the bet, Kairi!" Riku said exasperatedly. Pence, Olette and Hayner laughed in unison at the joke. Calming down, plans were made for Riku to stay in Pence's apartment, and Kairi would stay at Olette's. Hayner had football practice for most of the week (Riku thought he looked like a jock), so his apartment wasn't an option. As night fell, the friends split up to their separate places. Riku said his farewells as he walked with Pence.

"Wow, you guys have been through a lot!" said Pence. "Must be fun, saving the world and all that."

Riku nodded. "Aside from the constant chance of dying, pretty much. But I like getting to unwind now and then. Pity Sora's not here; he seemed to really like you guys."

"And Kairi seems pretty awesome," Pence said. "And to be the Keyblade master on top of that body…dang! I'm surprised you're not all over her!"

Riku shook his head. "Not after what happened to Sora. I could never do that. It just wouldn't be right."

Pence sighed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I always have to watch Hayner get the girls, and it gets kinda tiring. I just don't have his luck, I guess."

"Nah, just keep your eyes open, man," Riku replied. "Besides, I'm not taken either, and I'm loving life just fine."

Pence fell silent as he pondered this and didn't say any more till the pair reached his apartment building, a dingy but sturdy-looking red brick structure. Climbing up to the sixth floor, Pence opened the door, and Riku saw about what he expected. The place was fairly clean but rather unorganized with clothes scattered throughout and empty bags of chips and bottles of soda near a new game console—in short, the typical atmosphere of a college student. As fitting of college students the pair spent the next few hours blowing each other to bits in the game of choice before finally falling asleep.

---

Over at Olette's things were considerably different. The giggling pair walked up to Olette's eighth-floor room apartment, but as Olette opened the door, she screamed at the army of Dusks that awaited her. The room was full of the writhing gray bodies, and they slowly forced their way through the door, apparently hunting Olette. Kairi gasped in shock as she drew Oathkeeper. Jumping in front of Olette, she quickly launched a Reflega spell, sending the Dusks flying away from Olette. They landed on their backs but slithered back into an upright position and resumed the attack.

"Olette, get out of here! I'll hold them off!" Kairi screamed. Olette nodded and ran, a Dusk right behind her. Kairi forcefully threw Oathkeeper at the Dusk and cut its torso nearly in half, destroying it instantly. As Olette sprinted down the hallway out of Kairi's sight, the battle ensued with Kairi as the new focal point of the attack. She deftly wielded Oathkeeper, blocking a slew of attacks. It almost seemed to Kairi that her blade was acting independently of her as she tried to find holes in the oncoming force. As she searched, she failed to see a Dusk sneak behind her and wrap its serpentine arms around her throat.

"What?! No! Get…off…" Kairi screamed but felt horror consume her as her crushed windpipe produced less and less sound. The Dusk was going to kill her; of that she was sure. Her vision began to fade as she gave in to the fatal embrace…

"Kairi!!!"

That voice…familiar…distant…falling…falling…

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Riku had come at Olette's urging, and he tried to hack his way through the tide of Dusks. But there were hundreds upon hundreds of them, and they easily fended him off. In desperation Riku continued to attempt to fight through the deluge of Nobodies with nothing but blind rage fueling him on.

Kairi knew none of this; she was delirious from lack of oxygen. But she still heard the voice…a male's voice…someone coming to save her…Sora?

Sora was trying to save her…

Sora was in danger…

He couldn't die again…she must save him!

"**ULTIMA FIRAGA**!"

The words somehow appeared in her brain and shot out of her mouth, regardless of the Dusk's chokehold. With power and commanding force she shouted the words as a massive burst of flame radiated from her body. Flames shout out in all directions, burning through the Dusks like twigs. Only Riku's timely Reflega saved him and Olette from being incinerated, and even still they felt the incredible heat of the spell. Finally the heat subsided, and Riku and Olette saw that the building was in flames. Kairi stood in the center, gasping for air and in shock at what she had done. She came to her senses and turned frantically. She saw Riku and tried to make a Reflega, but she was completely drained.

"Kairi! Come on! Let's get out of here!" Riku called.

"I can't! My magic…it's not working!" Kairi called despondently. She began to make sense of what had gone through her head…Sora was not here…he was in no danger…he was still dead…but the voice…was it really Riku? Or was that Sora from beyond the grave …?

A falling chunk of flaming roof fell just inches from her head, snapping her back to reality. Riku appeared with Olette under a Reflega, and Kairi quickly ran under it. Now safe from harm, she kept thinking as she ran from the burning building. As soon as Sora was on her mind, it was hard for her to forget him…another memory resurfaced in her mind—a conversation they had only a few months ago.

---

_"Kairi, I'll always be here to protect you."_

_"Who says I'll be the one who needs protection?"_

_"Well, when you do, I'll be there for you."_

_"And I'll be there for you because you'll need saving just as much as me."_

_"Fair enough."_

_---_

The sudden drop in temperature awoke Kairi again. Standing outside, she saw Olette call 911 on her cell phone as Riku dragged her aside.

"What…was…that?!" he asked in shock. "You just lit a building on fire!"

"I don't know; it just popped into my head!" Kairi proceeded to recount her side of the story to Riku. He thought about it for a bit before looking back at Kairi.

"Yen Sid had better come soon. This is something he needs to know."

* * *

His long black hair couldn't hide an angry scowl. Ruxik stared at Maleficent's crystal ball, watching what had just happened in Twilight Town through a haze of black fire.

He had planned the event that had Yen Sid out of his castle; Maleficent was in charge of it now. But he hadn't counted on Kairi being able to launch that kind of magical power; he had thought that only Yen Sid was even competent with magic. Maleficent had warned him against underestimating those two…perhaps he should take her advice more seriously. He couldn't read minds, so Kairi's latest bout of reminiscence was lost on him.

But he could not confer with her now; she was not here. So he had only his own mind with which to debate over his next move.

_They just decimated an army of Nobodies…well, I would have destroyed the one that tried to kill her; I need her alive. But they're more powerful than I thought._

_Maybe the time for watching and letting others do my work is past._

_Maybe it's time I step into the fray and show them true power. Hopelessness is a good depressant. _

_That's what I'll do. I'll give them something to fear. That army is nothing compared to me._

* * *

_A/N: Maybe if I remind you to review at the end, you'll actually do it! _


	7. Into the Fray

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, oathkeeper, PrincessKeira, fallenxxangel and sexymonkey08 for reviewing! _

_Side note: anyone have any advice for Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories—like how to get specific map cards without going all over the place randomly? I'm a Blue 1 card short of opening the first door in the last floor, and I've spent probably over an hour searching which gets quite tedious…please help!_

_Anyway I own nothing but Ruxik and the plot. __**Please review! **_

**VII. Into the Fray**

Maleficent appeared through a dark flame, looking down on the battle below her. Ruxik had instructed her to attack Disney Castle, and she was only too happy to oblige; she hated that mouse with a passion. She had let a combined army of Nobodies and Heartless warm start the attack and was now watching to see how things were going. She didn't like having to get her hands dirty if she didn't need to do so.

She conjured a floating rock, magically made herself and the rock invisible and took flight to get a birds-eye view. A massive tide of Heartless and Nobodies were slowly pressing against a small group of warriors from all sides. She could see small flashes of random colors that she assumed was magic (this suspicion was confirmed when she narrowly dodged a bolt of lightning from a Thundaga). But her vision was limited due to the distance, so she stared into her scepter, the end of which acted as a second crystal ball.

* * *

King Mickey snuck back from the battlefield to down a Hi-Potion. He needed the help desperately; the surprise attack from Maleficent's troops had him and his friends exhausted. Yen Sid's magical prowess was a great help, but the battle showed no signs of ending. Parts of the castle were already suffering; the neatly kept hedges in the royal garden were ablaze, walls had gaping holes from powerful attacks, and all around the entrance to the Hall of the Cornerstone were signs of battle; the Heartless had struck there first, but Mickey had held them off with Donald, Goofy and Yen Sid before they split up to defend the rest of the castle.

Feeling rejuvenated, the King charged up a Light spell from his Keyblade and blasted a Neoshadow that ventured too close. Six more followed in its place, but the King took them all out with some quick slashes from his Keyblade. Another began crawling under the ground to attack him from behind, but a quick Blizzaga from Donald took it out. Nodding his thanks, Mickey paired up with Donald for a potent magic blast of Light Thundaga. Blinding light spread through the ranks of Heartless and Nobodies, giving them a powerful shock, and the duo was rewarded by seeing shining hearts floating away to Kingdom Hearts.

Their joy was short-lived however; a Behemoth came into view with a trio of Berserkers riding on its back. The giant steel hammers glinted in the light as the massive Heartless charged up an attack from its horn. A swirl of dark colors grew to a gigantic size as it was launched into the sky.

Mickey looked at his companion. "Donald, you take care of the Berserkers; the Behemoth is mine!" he said as forcefully as his squeaky voice would allow. Donald nodded and began launching Firagas at the Nobodies as his king jumped towards the Behemoth. He launched another Light spell at the energy attack in the sky which destroyed it instantly and then proceeded to slash left and right at the beast's vulnerable horn. The Berserkers noticed this and started to charge Mickey, but Donald cast a Magnega that sent them far from their powerful hammers and allowed Mickey to grab one. Soon the mouse's eyes went red as the cursed hammer filled him with rage, and he went on a rampage, swinging the hammer to and fro with frightening force. A final, swift flurry finished off the raging attack as the Nobodies fell and vanished in defeat.

* * *

Maleficent scowled as she waved her hand over her scepter; she had seen enough. That stupid mouse could ruin her whole plan. However there was more to this attack than just the frontal assault. With another wave of her hand the crystal ball's fire swirled hypnotically revealing the battle on the other side of the castle.

* * *

The castle armory was a major target of the assault, and King Mickey had figured as much which was why he sent Yen Sid to lead its defense. Upon arrival Yen Sid had cast a magical barrier over the cache of weapons, blocking even the most powerful foes. With the defenses in place he proceeded to magically tear apart the approaching Heartless and Nobodies as Goofy took out anything that snuck past the magician.

Yen Sid knew he had only a little time left; he needed to get back to the tower. The castle was important, but frankly the strengthening of the Keyblade Master mattered more; what was losing one world compared to losing all of them? He knew the King had sent a summons to Radiant Garden to get Cloud, Leon and Yuffie, but how long would it be until they arrived?

The light in front of Yen Sid seemed to shimmer oddly. Yen Sid pointed his wand and shouted, "Reveal yourself!" The shimmering light disappeared to show an angry Stealth Sneak that swiped its large hands at the magician. However he quickly waved his wand again and bellowed, "Meteorga!" A flaming bolt of lightning struck the reptilian Heartless, destroying it instantly. Suddenly Yen Sid heard footsteps behind him. Turning rapidly, he saw the trio of Radiant Garden denizens for whom he had waited. There was Leon with his shining silver Gunblade and trademark black jacket, Cloud with his tattered dark cape, spiky blond hair and colossal sword and the ever-energetic Yuffie armed with shruiken and an irrepressible smile.

"We've got this place covered, sir," Leon said firmly. "We'll take it from here."

Yen Sid nodded. "My thanks to you all. Farewell." With that he waved his wand and disappeared, headed back to his castle.

* * *

If the first scene of the battle had displeased Maleficent, this made her downright furious. The whole point of this attack was to distract that magician! Well, yes, the chance to kill another Keyblade wielder was tempting, but Ruxik had wanted Kairi and Riku isolated from Yen Sid; he feared that the old man suspected something. With such a massive (and ever-growing) army at their command, launching a full-scale war wouldn't be a great loss.

Thinking quickly, Maleficent opened up a portal and headed back to the castle just in time; Ruxik was headed towards the black flame in front of him.

"Ruxik! Wait!" Maleficent called. Ruxik stopped mid-step to face the witch.

"Yes?" he responded testily.

"Yen Sid is back at the tower. He left the armory to the fools from Hollow Bastion," Maleficent reported. She still called the place Hollow Bastion since she had named it that after taking it for her own.

Ruxik's already dark face became even angrier. "That blasted old fool! I was going to show up in Twilight Town anyway, but I guess now there's been a change of plans!" Before the more levelheaded Maleficent could respond, he walked into his flame and disappeared.

* * *

Riku, Kairi and Olette were all at Pence's apartment for the time being. Olette would have gone back to her parents' place, but they were on vacation and wouldn't return till tomorrow.

Only Pence could get any sleep; the other three had sleeping bags but had too much on their minds to rest. Olette was wondering if and when she could return to her apartment which had burned completely to the ground. Riku was trying to figure out what had happened with Kairi that had caused her to light an entire building on fire. Kairi was trying in vain to shake the memories of Sora from her head and also to understand what she had just done.

_I heard his voice…and I know Riku's voice. I was positive; that was Sora. Then again I was getting choked…delirium I guess. But still…I thought he was back…_

_Oh, Sora, how can I survive without you? _

Such thoughts rattled through her mind until sleep finally overcame her. Unfortunately she only slept for a few hours before Riku shook her awake. An orange clock read 5:37.

"Kairi, Kairi…you awake?" he asked, trying not to wake up Olette also.

"Unfortunately, yes," Kairi moaned. "Why?"

"Yen Sid's back; he just sent us a summons. We probably should go."

Still groggy, Kairi crawled out of her sleeping bag. "Well, I'll just leave a note for Olette then." She found a notepad on the counter and quickly wrote a note explaining their absence. Following Riku, she went downstairs, trying to avoid waking up any residents. Once outside, they tried to hurry up the hill on which the town was built to Station Heights, but before they got halfway, Kairi found herself in Yen Sid's office and nearly collided with his ornately carved wooden desk before regaining their balance.

Yen Sid chuckled quietly. "My apologies. My summons must have caught you in mid-stride."

"It certainly did," moaned Riku who had hit the desk at a decent speed and was now trying to walk off the pain in his thigh.

"So, Master Yen Sid, why'd you summon us?" Kairi asked politely, trying to hide her embarrassment at Riku's lack of formality.

"I was attempting to give you both a few lessons in magic; your proficiency in that field is of the utmost importance to me."

"Well, actually, Master, there's something else I needed to tell you," Riku said in an attempt to regain his composure. Kairi thought he was going to tell the tale of the burning apartment, but instead he proceeded to recall a dream of his which he apparently had the previous night as well.

Yen Sid nodded slowly. "He called himself Ruxik?"

"Yes, Master."

Yen Sid stroked his gray beard thoughtfully for a few moments. An idea seemed to strike him as his eyes lit up. Digging through his large desk, he returned with a piece of paper and an oddly large wooden pencil. He turned to Riku and said, "Draw this man from your dreams."

Riku cringed noticeably. "Um, Master, I'm a terrible artist…" Kairi tried to hide a snicker; she had always loved drawing and was pleased to see that Naminé had as well. She was a bit proud of her talents and in this case found it hard to suppress.

Yen Sid gave her a reproachful eye. "This pencil Riku holds is a creation of my own. I'm not excellent in the field myself, so I created this to help me whenever I did need drawing. It analyzes Riku's memory and recreates it in perfect detail on paper. So please, you made be the Keyblade Master, but the laughter is not needed."

As Kairi muttered her apology, a newly enthused Riku proceeded to perfectly replicate the Ruxik in his dream on paper in a few seconds. The scraggly black hair, steely gray eyes, black cloak and athletic build were all perfectly captured. Yen Sid analyzed it stoically, but he was silently thinking, _This only confirms what I thought…this could get messy_.

With that done the duo proceeded to tell Yen Sid what had happened the previous night. To their surprise he wasn't particularly shocked.

"That is a powerful bit of magic you used, Kairi," he began when their tale was finished. "Ultima Firaga is one of the Ultima Spells. The basic spells all progress the same way; Fire, Fira, Firaga, Reflect, Reflera, Reflega and so forth. But there is a fourth stage to those spells, and that is the Ultima level."

Riku and Kairi both leaned closer to hear the old man's words. "It's fairly simple really; it's just a matter of learning the words. However the hard part comes in controlling the spell; Ultima Spells can be hard to control without hours of practice. Come with me. I shall show you what they can be when they are controlled." He walked towards a mahogany door Riku and Kairi had not entered and opened it. The pair walked in and saw a large, white circular room with some small but durable-looking wooden chairs and tables. Further from them was a large, thick brick wall, standing apparently pointlessly. The ceiling and wall shimmered with a strange light not unlike the force fields that Heartless and Nobodies created on occasion.

"This is my magical training room; I used this to teach the finer arts to younger magicians," he said. "That light you see is a magical shield so I don't destroy the place. Now stand back and behold the controlled form of Kairi's spell." With a few waves of his wand he moved the wall so that it stood in front of him. He waved his wand once more and bellowed, "**ULTIMA FIRAGA!**"

Instead of spreading in all directions, a massive fireball emitted from Yen Sid's wand. Kairi and Riku had to cover their eyes from the intense heat and light that resulted. When they could look again, they were surprised to see no brick wall but only miniscule fragments of brick and cement. Both were undeniably impressed.

"Yes, the spells are all quite potent," Yen Sid replied modestly but with an obvious smile. "I shall certainly teach you those if you progress well enough in my other lessons. But we shall start—"

Yen Sid's instructions were cut off by the sound of a huge wooden beam collapsing from the ceiling. Kairi couldn't hold back a scream, and Yen Sid's eyes bulged with shock.

"Reflega!" shouted Riku. The magical orb only barely protected the magician and Keyblade Master. Looking through the spell, a figure robed in black was seen hovering above the hole created by the missing beam. He removed his hood to reveal scraggly black hair and steely gray eyes.

Riku gasped in shock. "Ruxik!"

"Good guess, vessel!" Ruxik shouted. "You think you're getting more powerful because you know basic magic and can Drive, but you underestimate me! Let me just give you a hint of my power as I destroy this whole place!"

Yen Sid's face emanated pure rage. "Leave this castle at once!"

"I don't take orders from anybody!" Ruxik yelled. "This castle will fall apart piece by piece, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

To prove his point he fired a blast of black energy and knocked down another beam. Riku, Kairi and Yen Sid could only stare in shock before Riku regained his wits.

"Come on then!" he shouted. "We've got to get out of here!"

* * *

_A/N: Review please!_


	8. The Secret of Twilight Town

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, fallenxxangel, oathkeeper and japaneserocker (x5!) for reviewing, and thanks to cronomantic and japaneserocker for the story alert adds!_

_I had to delete, rewrite and re-post this chapter…japaneserocker made me aware that I had revealed something I was not planning to reveal yet. Thank you, japaneserocker, for saving part of my story!_

_I own only the plot and Ruxik. On with the story!_

**VIII. The Secret of Twilight Town**

The three ran hastily out of the building as more beams began to fall. Dust and chunks of wood flew through the air as the structure collapsed. Ruxik continued to blast the building to pieces, but he made no sound save to charge another blast of dark energy.

Yen Sid quickly conjured an Ultima Reflega for cover. Kairi and Riku watched under the thick, seemingly impenetrable orb as he launched another spell, Ultima Thundaga. A huge thunderstorm ripped the sky apart as lightning scorched all that was near it, but Ruxik remained unharmed.

"Do you really think I'd be that defenseless?" he taunted. "I'd be a fool indeed not to expect you to show off your supposedly incredible magical skill. Let me let you in on a secret—your powers are nothing!" With that he charged up another dark blast and sent it flying towards Yen Sid. The Ultima Reflega was destroyed in an explosion like shattering glass. Bright colors and magical energy soared through the air as Kairi, Riku and Yen Sid took off running.

"Such a coward you are, Riku!" called Ruxik. "Stand and fight! Or is this surrender I sense?" He slowly glided down through the hole in the roof from his destruction and landed gracefully. Slowly he strode through the doorway through which his quarries had only just left. With a wave of his hand an Aero spell blew the thick wooden door off its hinges, and he looked down the stairway before him.

He saw nothing of note aside from the collapsing roof and the door below him that led to the next room. There was a wide expanse between the stairway and either wall that looked relatively unharmed, so Ruxik decided to speed up his mission by launching an Ultima Firaga spell at both walls. Instantly the sides of the tower were ablaze. Ruxik smiled evilly. _That stupid fool didn't even bother with a barrier_. He levitated upward a little and began to rapidly fly towards the door. Another Aero took it out of his way as he continued to hunt down his prey.

_Wait—why am I doing the dirty work? _Ruxik pondered. He clapped his hands, and six Berserkers appeared with Samurais in tow. "After them!" Ruxik ordered, and the Nobodies silently carried out their order.

---

The motley trio sprinted down the stairs with Kairi leading, Yen Sid following and Riku guarding the old man. Yen Sid's age slowed him (and thus both Riku and Kairi) greatly, but the chance of losing the infinite well of wisdom that was Yen Sid was not one to risk.

Riku shot another furtive glance over his shoulder. To his dread six Berserkers were right behind, swinging their hammers only inches from their quarries' heads. Turning back to Kairi and Yen Sid, he shouted, "Let's pick up the pace! We've got company!"

Yen Sid turned at these words and quickly drew his wand. "I'll handle them. Meteorga!" A flame wrapped in lightning burst from his wand and destroyed three Berserkers and a Samurai. However there were still Nobodies remaining, and several disappeared into a portal before appearing again in another—this time ahead of the escaping trio. Kairi suppressed a startled scream and sliced a Samurai in two with a quick strike from Oathkeeper and used a Thundaga spell to destroy another. She looked around and saw that Riku and Yen Sid had finished off their foes just as quickly, but the skirmish had allowed the hunter to catch up with his prey. Ruxik slowly walked down the stairs with a triumphant smirk on his face.

In despair the trio turned to face their hunter. Riku brandished Way to the Dawn defensively as he prepared for the coming attack. But as he did so something caught his eye. At the top of the stairs he saw what looked like the forms of Hayner, Pence and Olette. That was shocking enough, but two other things caught his eye. One was their clothes. Gone were their normal t-shirts, jerseys and other normal fare. Instead all three wore spotless angelic white robes that almost blinded Riku. The other aspect that shocked him was their expressions. It was something like anger, but it seemed deeper—it resembled how Riku would have pictured an angry God. Anger and rage didn't seem right…the word that came to mind was 'wrath'.

Before Riku could fully process this, Ruxik waved a hand and shouted "**Time, depart!**" An incredibly intense light emanated from his hand, forcing Riku's eyes shut. When he opened them again, Ruxik was facing the three robed teenagers (Riku could only see his back). He looked to Kairi and Yen Sid, expecting to see shock, but to his surprise they were completely motionless. Before he could react, Ruxik began to speak, and Riku tried to look as still as his friends as the conversation ensued.

"What do you want here?" he shouted. "This is my business. I'm not trying to find my vessel, so leave!"

"This isn't about vessels; this about the safety of this town!" Pence shouted.

"And how can we trust someone like you anyway?" Olette added. "You—"

Here Ruxik in his rage seemed to inadvertently let out a blast of dark energy that took out a chunk of the stairway. "Here you go again! You just think that there's right and wrong for you as if you were whole! We're all Nobodies! We're incomplete; our goal is to be complete! And if this is how I choose to achieve that goal, you are to let me achieve it! In fact you should be helping me do this!"

"Our goal is to show those who are worthy the path to their vessels and be completed!" Olette countered. "You're not worthy; you've gained powers of only the darkest of hearts!"

"Yes! That is part of my goal! Don't you get it? It's one of the paths to fulfillment! But your double standard says that I'm not worthy of the ultimate goal of all Nobodies!" Ruxik clenched a fist in anger.

Hayner spoke for the first time. "Double standard? This is for the safety of all of those who live in Twilight Town and beyond! We know we can't trust you"

"But this is how I will be fulfilled! You have no right to ruin my plans!" Ruxik shouted again. He waved his hand and conjured a black bladed staff identical to the one Riku had seen in his dreams. "I didn't plan to eliminate you three, but I don't care if I have to!" He levitated a few inches above the ground and charged Hayner, Pence and Olette at an incredible speed. Riku was about to shout a warning before Hayner stepped forward and held his hand out with his palm facing Ruxik. A flash of white light emanated from his hand, and Ruxik was sent flying backwards. Regaining his balance, he conjured bolts of black lightning. To his dismay Pence waved a hand and sent them flying back to Ruxik. Before he could launch another attack Pence took charge again and summoned a ball of white light. Ruxik was slowly being drawn towards the ball, and as his legs disappeared into it, Riku realized that the ball was some sort of portal.

"Curse you, guardians!" Ruxik yelled. "Mark my words: you'll soon suffer the same fate as anyone who opposes me! I shall be…" He disappeared before he could finish his sentence. Riku stood there with mouth agape as Pence shouted "**Time, restore!"** Kairi and Yen Sid began to move again, staring in shock before realizing that Ruxik was no longer charging them. Confused, they stared at Riku who was staring in confusion at Hayner, Pence and Olette who were now back in their normal casual garb. Suddenly something appeared to dawn on them, and they quickly ran to the former quarries of Ruxik and created another white portal. Riku shut his eyes due to the blinding light and felt a rush of wind before his feet touched solid ground again. Looking around, he found himself in a dingy corner of a back alley. Old posters and torn couches filled the area.

"Ah, the Usual Spot," Olette said calmly. "Haven't been here in years."

"Let's not let nostalgia take over," Pence said in a more businesslike tone. "Riku, did you see what happened between us and Ruxik?"

Riku nodded. "What _was_ that anyway?"

Hayner shook his head. "We'll explain. Yen Sid, I think you know what went on back there."

The old man nodded in understanding. "The Spells of Time. Of course. I don't believe my companions are familiar with it however."

Hayner turned to Riku and Kairi. "Basically the spell can pause time for anyone within a certain radius. Ruxik was a bit careless and must have let you in on the spell, Riku."

"Alright, that makes sense," said Riku with a nod. "But what was going on? Why were you in white? What was he saying? What are his plans?"

"Where are you getting all of this?!" Kairi shouted in confusion. "I just see Ruxik there, and then he's gone, and suddenly the whole world's gone crazy!"

"Calm down, calm down, give me a second to answer!" said Pence. He took a seat on an old couch and turned to Riku and Kairi with an almost fatherly tone.

"There's something about us that only a few people know, but as Keyblade bearers, I'm allowed to tell you," he began. "Hayner, Pence and I share a special title. We are the Guardians of Twilight Town. Our main goals are to make Twilight Town life as comfortable as possible for those who come and to reunite those who want to meet their vessels with their vessels. Everyone who comes to this town is a Nobody. In the same way that Traverse Town is a haven for the strong-hearted who have lost worlds to the Heartless Twilight Town is a shelter for special Nobodies: the Nobodies whose existence is due to the willing sacrifice of a vessel's heart. These Nobodies are special because unlike the Dusks and Berserkers and the like Twilight Town residents are Nobodies with hearts. I am one of those special Nobodies as are Hayner and Pence. We have hearts, but we are Nobodies because of how we are formed." Pence let this sink in for a moment before continuing.

"How does this come about, you ask? Think of Roxas. He was created because of Sora's sacrificial transformation to save Kairi." Kairi bowed her head at this, and Riku saw a tear slide down her cheek. "What Sora did took a heart of incredible purity and strength. He was perfectly willing to face the darkest of fates to save you, Kairi." A poorly suppressed sob and Riku's gestures and head-shaking told Pence to change the subject. "The point is that when that strong of a heart is stolen by (or given to) the Heartless, they cannot absorb the great light within it. That light must be manifested in some other form, and that form is the heart of a Nobody. Roxas thus received a heart which is why he can show emotions unlike other Nobodies. He could care and love as he did for Naminé."

Kairi looked up, her eyes still filled with tears. "But Naminé…she wasn't too emotional…"

Pence shook his head. "She was trained by the Organization, the members of which have no heart, to think that she did not have one either. After the Organization released her, she simply didn't realize she had a heart until some time after she met Roxas. Nobodies and their vessels have some things in common. Kairi, I know this must be painful, but Sora's feelings for you triggered the same feelings in Roxas for Naminé."

There was a long pause before Hayner spoke quietly. "You might be wondering why this town exists. Like Pence said, it's a haven for Nobodies with hearts. But there's more to it than that. Once the Nobodies realize that they are incomplete, some long to find their vessel again and be whole. This town is where the special Nobodies end up before they begin to hunt down their vessel. Pence, Olette and I are the Guardians of this town. We keep records of where vessels were last reported and try to keep the place safe so Nobodies can survive long enough to ready their plans to find their vessels."

Olette jumped in here. "Of course some are content living here, so we try to make life comfortable for those who wish to stay. Some don't even know that they're Nobodies; the citizens try to avoid discussing it because it's occasionally a rather awkward topic."

"Wow," Kairi said. "You're pretty lucky to have a job like this; you're barely older than me!"

Pence laughed. "Not exactly, Kairi. There's another secret of Nobodies: we don't age. This body resembles my vessel's about seven hundred years ago. The fashions have changed obviously, but I was around for this town's early years, and Hayner, Olette and I were elected leaders in that time. I can't search for my vessel; he was killed many years ago; Hayner and Olette have similar stories. Our goal is to have other worthy Nobodies avoid the fate of never reuniting with their vessel."

Hayner began to speak again. "But there are Nobodies who don't deserve a reunion. Only the strong-hearted even produce a Nobody upon becoming a Heartless, and only the strongest of hearts (light or dark) produce a humanoid Nobody. Xehranort's heart was so strong in darkness, his evil carried over to Xemnas. That's why we were so grateful Sora killed Xehranort's Heartless; if he had reunited with Xemnas, the world would have been completely overrun by darkness. Such are the consequences of the reunion of unworthy Nobodies and unworthy vessels."

Riku nodded gravely in understanding as Yen Sid stood up. "Well, now that we know the background information, we've got some work to do. I believe my tower is destroyed thanks to that fool. But there's still something quite valuable that is still intact. So come; I must plunder my own tower."

Hayner nodded. "If there's anything that can help us, then let's go."

_

* * *

A/N: Reviews are awesome!_


	9. The Master Forge

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, japaneserocker (x2, and I still owe you big time for protecting my plot!), and PrincessKeira for reviewing! _

_I apologize for the long wait; things just came up and ensured that I lacked the time to write here. But anyway I own only Ruxik and the plot. On with the story!_

**IX. The Master Forge**

After what seemed like hours Ruxik opened his eyes. The portal through which the Guardians sent him was torturous to cross. It was filled with a powerful light that caused him searing pain. Like fiery whips the light burned him for what felt like an age before finally he felt the cool sensation of natural air.

_Curse those Guardians!_ Ruxik thought as he looked over himself. He had no signs of injury, but he knew that the Guardians were aware that light as pure as the portal's was excruciating to darkened Nobodies like him. Taking a look at his surroundings, he found that he recognized this place. He was just outside the Castle That Never Was in the dreary city that surrounded it. To his left he thought he could see the gigantic magical door that blocked the path to Betwixt and Between that the Keyblade bearer had made about a year ago as part of his final quest: lock the Nobodies inside the World That Never Was. It had lasted for a while but failed eventually as Ruxik's powers grew strong enough to create portals of his own.

_The Keyblade bearer…_Ruxik thought to himself before a rush of rage overtook him. _I was supposed to focus on Kairi!_ _Stupid Yen Sid, stupid Riku…they're going to be her little guardians I suppose…Now why was I there in the first place? Yes…the tower…I guess I have some unfinished business then…_ Without further ado he opened a portal, mocked the Guardians' inability to slow down his plans and walked through.

* * *

Maleficent watched this scene in her crystal ball with a smile. _Ruxik is such a fool…_His rashness would almost certainly derail all the plans he had supposedly carefully composed over the span of several years. Maleficent knew the meaning of patience; her plan to capture the Princesses of Heart had taken years of waiting before finally beginning. Even after its failure she was not about to stop; there was so much power for her to claim. But she couldn't do it alone; she had come closest when she had a slew of allies. But Jafar, Ursula, Captain Hook…all had met the same fate--death by Keyblade. Hades…Hercules was too much trouble for him. Riku and Kairi certainly would tear him apart. 

She had found Ruxik as he stumbled into the castle, exhausted and beaten. She found his intelligence to be quite fair considering she had recently worked with such idiots as Pete. His plan seemed to make sense, and best of all she had nothing to lose. If his plan failed, she would simply go into hiding again until a new plan surfaced. If his plan succeeded, the Keyblade bearers would be out of her way, and she would easily gain enough power to take his throne. Certainly that brash young mind would overlook something.

The sound of a Heartless breaking through a portal broke her train of thought. Within seconds a Neoshadow with a dark blue sash denoting his rank appeared. It bowed swiftly and began to speak in the language of the Heartless, a tongue filled with much hissing and guttural shrieking.

Maleficent interpreted the language flawlessly. _The armory's still intact, but the castle is falling elsewhere…a diversion never hurt anyone. That armory is still the key._ She turned to the Neoshadow with a new order. "Get a few hundred troops to attack the Hall of the Cornerstone. Once they're diverted, order more to strike the armory. Take no prisoners as always."

The Neoshadow hissed his approval and with a salute faded into a portal. Maleficent changed the focus of her scepter's crystal; this battle held more importance to her than to Ruxik. It was only meant to occupy and perhaps incapacitate Yen Sid, but Maleficent still wanted the blasted King Mickey dead. This could be the chance Maleficent had anticipated for years.

* * *

With another rush of wind and light Riku and Kairi found themselves at a familiar locale. Yen Sid's proud tower had once stood here, but in its place was a crumbled mess. Bricks and mortar were piled randomly with thick splintered logs. Shards of a substance resembling molten stained glass littered the ground as well; Yen Sid identified them as pieces of his portals. The Guardians stood shaking their head morosely for a bit before Hayner broke the sad silence. 

"Alright, Yen Sid, what do you want us to get for you?" he asked politely.

Yen Sid broke from his silent reminiscence. "There are two things that I dearly hope survived: my library and…well, you Guardians know the other room." Kairi and Riku glanced at each other in excitement. "Come; Ruxik's spells might have messed with the rooms. He has to know there's something valuable in here."

"I can handle that," Olette said confidently. She waved her hand and muttered, "**Ultima Adurega**". A golden aura appeared around her hand. She began to slowly walk through the ruins, and as she did so, she passed her hand over them. Sometimes this revealed a strange black matter which she quickly eliminated with another spell. One particular stray brick was covered with the unusual substance, and when Olette said her spell, not only did the black material dissolve, an entire room with ceiling and floor appeared. It was easily fifty yards long and lined with rows and rows of huge ornate bookcases filled with books of all kinds. A rich smell of mahogany wood filled the air followed by the musty odor of ancient books. A few stray pages were on the floor; a quick glance revealed that they were written in strange undecipherable languages.

Riku and Kairi stared with mouths agape at the gaping hall that stood before them. Olette shrugged nonchalantly as the light disappeared from her hand. "What, you've never seen the undoing of a dark spell?"

Riku was the first to awake from his stupor. "What exactly is this thing?"

"And how exactly did Ruxik turn it into a brick?" Kairi added.

"I told you, dark spells can have weird effects when they come in contact with magical barriers," Yen Sid said calmly. "This room is my library of all things normal humans do not know. Ansem the Wise was not the first discoverer of the Heartless. There were countless others before him who did other research and discovered things Ansem could never have learned. Theories on Nobodies, Castle Oblivion, the Keyblade…there is much to learn from this library, and even I have not learned it all after all these years."

Riku started to walk through the aisles between the bookcases. Picking an old red-covered thick volume, he looked through the pages and saw some detailed sketches of what seemed to be ancient Keyblades. The language was foreign, but Riku saw something of value. _Books on the Keyblade…I've always wondered how I got this. And maybe something in this library will explain my dreams…_

The old man saw Riku's fascination. "That book's written in Aexyrthan, I believe. Not too complicated of a language. I believe I have a book on it somewhere…"

"Would you mind if I borrowed some of these books, Master?" Riku asked, aware of the fact that he sounded like a child.

Yen Sid chuckled. "I call this room a library for a reason, Riku!" he said in an almost fatherly tone. "Go right ahead; I think you'd know to give them the proper care." Riku gratefully thanked Yen Sid as Pence cleared his throat noticeably.

"Alright, one down, one more room to go," he said. "With no disrespect to your library, this room's a bit more important, I'd say." His hand glowed with the same aura as Olette's had.

"That's not necessary, Pence," Yen Sid stated. "The room you seek was always beneath the tower; something of that importance would not be attached to a destructible building." He conjured his wand and shouted a spell in a strange language. "_**Zyriala fyirst avyshra!**_"

Riku and Kairi stood slightly confused before feeling the earth shake beneath their feet. Kairi let out a scream and started to run from the tower before feeling the ground split beneath her feet. Gaining her wits, she cast an Aeroga spell and levitated above the ground with the others as they watched the revealing of another secret of the tower.

This room could not have looked any more different from the first. Instead of the warm and inviting appearance of the library this room seemed to make the very air around it cold and metallic like itself. Even the roaring fire inside a huge pillar did nothing to change the chilly aura of the room. Finally the room fully rose above the ground, and Riku and Kairi saw the room in its entirety.

In addition to the huge fire there was an anvil and all manners of hammers and mallets. Old paper hangings on the walls showed sketches of ornate Keyblades that were unlike any Riku had yet seen. Some were swords with two small blades attached at the end; some were flails with a key-shaped handle; some were simply staffs ending in key-shaped designs. Piles of shining metals covered the floor; there was silver, gold and platinum in vast amounts and even something that looked like a Gummi block. Trays were full of precious stones and gems; some were familiar (diamonds, turquoises, emeralds and Mythril were apparent); some were completely foreign. However there was one thing in common with everything in this strange space: everything looked like it had not been used in quite some time and had a layer of dust on it.

"What…how…when…" Riku was completely lost for words.

Kairi stood in stunned silence for a moment before speaking. "So what's this room do?"

Yen Sid smiled. "This is a room I am honored to say is…or was part of my tower. Riku, Kairi, welcome to a room to which you are deeply connected though you may not even recognize it. Behold the Master Forge!"

Blank stares followed his dramatic fanfare. "You've never heard of this? Well, you are young, and you have been busy…anyway this is the building in which the Keyblades are made. These jewels and metals are all raw materials for the Keyblade and its key chains. An old friend of mine found this room in ruins long ago, and I was entrusted to restore it to working condition and keep it safe until it would be needed again; at the time the worlds did not need a Keyblade Master. I thus built my tower over the Forge so that there would be no chance of it falling into the wrong hands even if someone remembered its existence. When I heard that the Princesses of Heart were being kidnapped, I planned to bring this forge up again, but Sora fared so well that I felt it wasn't necessary. But now the threat of Ruxik and Maleficent requires the use of Keyblades to destroy, and the Forge is needed once again to create them. So, Riku, Kairi, this forge is yours now; I shall send it back to the islands when you leave. I trust that you will use your good judgment with this forge. The most powerful of weapons are made here, and so the biggest of mistakes may be made here also. Don't let this fall into the wrong hands, and even more importantly do not let those hands be your own!"

Riku and Kairi nodded gravely. Riku in particular was awed with the magnitude of the responsibility before him. "Thank you, Master, this is a great…" He suddenly became aware that Yen Sid was standing completely stationary with his eyes in mid-blink. Turning around, he saw that Kairi and the Guardians were similarly frozen.

"This can't be good…" He drew his Keyblade and crouched defensively…and suddenly a vision appeared in his head. It was his dream…but disjointed…parts were skipped over or blurry like a bad film…but Ruxik was there…and he came…he attacked…this time his blade found Riku's throat…

"NO!"

This was the second time it had happened outside of his dreams…he never told anyone that this exact thing had happened when Ruxik appeared at the tower. How did Ruxik do this…?

Suddenly the vision ceased. Riku breathed heavily and forced himself back into reality…and he heard a familiar triumphant laugh.

"You've made my life so much easier, Riku!" a voice shouted. Riku turned around to find Ruxik standing with his arms crossed and his staff drawn. "Not only did you show me the way to complete my plan, you practically handed it to me!" Here he dropped into a combat stance: torso facing sideways, left hand out, right hand holding weapon and elevated. It was identical to the way Riku fought, and Riku couldn't suppress his shock.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" cackled Ruxik. The pleasure of Riku completing his plan seemed to make him nearly insane. "My name alone should have given this away! And then the dreams, the Guardians…you really are quite stupid, aren't you?" He found this quite funny and threw his head back in laughter.

He abruptly stopped laughing when he found the blade of Way to the Dawn at his throat.

"But I'm still smart enough to beat you, so what does that make you?" Riku taunted quietly. "So enlighten me, Ruxik. Who are you, and what did I do to make you so ecstatic?"

Ruxik's glee disappeared almost instantly as he let out a sigh made difficult by the Keyblade at his neck. "With two people like us a moment like this is usually a big ceremony, and everyone's happy and celebrating. I guess this is a bit different considering you're so against everything that I stand for and everything I am." A fire of rage took over him with his last few words before he took a deep breath, regained composure and spoke again.

"Maybe you won't believe me when I say this. I don't care. I know that it's true, and I can prove it.

"I am your Nobody."

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_A/N: Don't kill me for the cliffhanger! Review please!_


	10. Ruxik's Origins

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A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, fallenxxangel, japaneserocker and PrincessKeira for the reviews!_

_I'm terribly sorry for the delay…things came up, I was away for the better part of a week, and I'm easily distracted. Facebook is partially to blame. Hopefully this chapter will be worth the wait._

_I own Ruxik and the plot; the rest is Square Enix's or Disney's. Without further ado, chapter 10!_

**X. Ruxik's Origins**

_I am your Nobody_. The words rang in Riku's head. _Impossible…I have no Nobody…I wasn't a Heartless!_

_Then again neither was Kairi…am I connected to Sora like she is?_

_He's lying. He's a Nobody. He's evil. He can't be trusted!_

"I don't believe you!" he shouted. He tensed his grip on Way to the Dawn and saw the blade graze Ruxik's throat. Instead of blood a small grayish-black vapor emanated from the cut.

"Does this look familiar?" Ruxik asked. "You've seen Nobodies as they are destroyed. You know what this looks like. We don't bleed or die. We fade. If you were to slit my throat, I would fade from this world completely. For as a Nobody I am nothing, and one made of nothingness cannot truly die."

Riku mulled this over. _That is what it looks like…but still he can't be my Nobody!_

"You still haven't proven that you're my Nobody and not someone else's," he replied. "You could be anyone's. And you certainly can't be mine because I was never a Heartless!"

Ruxik smiled thinly. "But you gave yourself to darkness; did you not? Embodying Xehanort who wanted to find the ultimate darkness, attempting to kill your best friend to save your love, trying to take said love's heart…that's pretty close to being a Heartless if you ask me."

The words hit Riku like a punch in the stomach. Not only was Ruxik right, but he had to bring up the darkest time in Riku's memory: the time when Maleficent had tricked him into giving himself up to darkness. His hold on his Keyblade grew slightly weaker.

"And don't you think that was all Maleficent's mind tricks," Ruxik continued as if he read Riku's mind. "You know it was your doing. You were jealous of Sora. You wanted Kairi all to yourself. You wanted the Keyblade. You were willing to give yourself up to darkness, but you were too self-righteous to sink to the level of a Heartless. You thought you were above darkness just because you kept your own body, and only when you lost it to Xehranort were you willing to fight back." An expression of malevolent triumph took over Ruxik's face. "You were just as low as a Heartless, Riku. You let darkness take over you. You embodied a Heartless, and so a Nobody had to be made. And here I am. I am Ruxik, your Nobody, and don't you dare try to deny it!"

Riku collapsed to the ground. It was simply too much. The pain of all the memories…he had tried to forget that terrible time when he hit rock bottom. Resurrecting that time siphoned all of his energy. He didn't even care that Ruxik could kill him right here…he was just too weak.

_You were just as low as a Heartless…_

"But… a Heartless… can't change back…" he croaked in fatigue.

Ruxik's smile grew wider. "Think for a second. Sora's not a Heartless still; is he?"

"But that was…Kairi's heart…she saved him…she loved him…"

"So?"

"I…came back…by myself…"

"And you decided to keep a little piece of Xehranort, didn't you? I'm pretty sure Maleficent didn't teach you how to steal someone's body. You could have escaped with just your body, and you wouldn't have had to take that trip through the Realm of Darkness. And I know full well why. You still wanted the darkness! You knew that darkness would give you greater power, and so you gave yourself to it! You only gave up when you knew you'd lose in a fight to King Mickey once he found you out and turned on you, and so you tried to pass yourself off as a changed man. Well, guess what? I know all your little secrets because they led to my existence! Don't try to deny this, Riku; you know every word I speak is true!"

By this point Riku was past weakness. Despite his complete lack of energy he felt like his veins were aflame. This time he knew Ruxik had missed a key point. His knowledge of the truth gave him something to which to cling as a rush of anger coursed through his veins. He slowly stood up and held Way to the Dawn at his side. He sent Ruxik a glare of pure fury and held back a smile at his foe's surprise.

"I didn't go through the darkness for myself, Ruxik," he said angrily. "I did it to save my friends from the darkness! I couldn't hold it off without taking its strength and using it for light! I bent the darkness to my will! I overpowered the darkness; why do you think this Keyblade is called Way to the Dawn?! I escaped! I survived! And I did _none_ of it for myself!" Here he drew his Keyblade into a combat stance. "And don't you _dare_ try and tell me otherwise!"

Suddenly Riku's eyes were drawn to his Keyblade. Ruxik gasped in shock as he saw what had happened.

Way to the Dawn was on fire. The whole sword was covered in a flame that was black on the outside and electric blue at its center. Yet Riku's hand was unharmed; he only felt a comfortable warmth.

Ruxik quickly conjured his double-bladed staff, held it behind him and turned so his side faced Riku. "You don't know what you've done; you can't control your own power!"

"I wouldn't bet on that!" Riku shouted. He charged Ruxik, slashed downwards and was blocked easily by Ruxik's staff. He quickly spun around and unleashed another downward slash which was also blocked. This time Ruxik made the next move by slashing at Riku's throat. Ducking quickly, Riku countered with a furious upward strike. This one connected and sent Ruxik flying. He howled in pain as the fire tore apart his cloak and ignited his skin. The black vapor of Nobodies radiated from the burns.

"Lucky shot!" he growled. "Dark Reflega!" A black orb emanated from his body and exploded, sending shards of the black magic and flames towards Riku. He braced for impact, but suddenly he felt a burst of adrenaline and began to block each incoming shard and ember with supernatural speed. Unhurt he saw Ruxik charging with his staff at the ready. He waited until Ruxik was almost upon him before quickly slicing under his feet. The Nobody fell to the ground as Riku prepared a death blow, but Ruxik barely escaped with a quick roll to the side. Way to the Dawn was wedged in the ground from the force of the blow, and as Riku struggled to pull it out, Ruxik thrust his hand towards his foe, shooting spheres of black energy. "Let's see that fire save you now!"

Almost as if on cue, Riku pulled the blade from the earth and raised it into a defensive stance. Ruxik's attack was absorbed by the fire, but it did not disappear. Riku saw this and gave Ruxik another furious glare.

"And you think I can't control my own power? I'm already stronger than you!" he shouted. With a grunt he sent the attack right back at Ruxik with double the original strength. Ruxik caught the energy in his palm without any apparent effort. Staring daggers at Riku, he forced his hand skyward as the spheres began to grow.

"That's the darkness in you speaking, fool!" Riku's glare was replaced by terror; Ruxik's eyes were glowing black, and a huge wind was stirring up at his feet. "Never provoke the wrath of the darkness, and _never_ say that you're more powerful than me! I have devoted my half-life to the darkness; this is my path to fulfillment! I will grow more powerful than any heart or any being before me! The heart is just a hindrance, and I have eliminated it! Nothing will stop me from gaining the greatest power! Nothing will stop me!" By this point the energy sphere was incinerating the clouds above, and a black lightning was coursing all around it.

_Oh, that's intimidating_, Riku thought fearfully. He racked his brain for solutions and found one quickly. "You may have the power of darkness; I have the power to conquer it!" He gripped his Keyblade more tightly. "The heart is stronger than the darkness, and let this be proof! _This is for killing Sora!_"

The fire consuming Way to the Dawn blazed even more powerfully. Ruxik felt an intense heat. _Nice show, but you can't handle this kind of darkness._ Levitating into the air, he threw the energy sphere, shouted, "You're done for!"…

…And gasped as the sphere never exploded.

Riku had blocked thrust out Way to the Dawn defensively, and somehow the blade stopped the incoming dark energy. Suddenly the flames covering Way to the Dawn began to leap even higher until they covered the sphere. The once-black sphere was now an electric blue. Feeling empowered, Riku tried to send the attack back at his foe but found himself too weak. It was taking all his strength just to keep the sphere at bay. His mind was racing as voices in his head began to wage a war of words.

_I'm not strong enough…I need to Drive, but Kairi wasn't affected by his spell…there's not enough light in me to send this back…_

_That's what he wants you to think! You conquered darkness before; you can do it again! Remember, this freak killed Sora, and he wants you dead too!_

_He's doing a good job trying to kill me…_

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You're not dead yet. Finish this now!_

_Can I really pull off the same trick twice?_

_No harm in trying._

_I might die._

_So might he._

_Good point._

"This is what you deserve, Ruxik," Riku said through gritted teeth. His voice was mostly muffled by the crackling of the flames, but Ruxik could still hear the intensity and anger. "This is what a murderer and twisted servant of darkness like you deserves. This is darkness defeated. This is the Fire of Light!!!"

With a furious grunt Riku sent the sphere flying back. Now Ruxik feared for his half-existence. _That was NOT his voice…he doesn't even know what the Fire of Light is, and he definitely doesn't sound like that. He almost sounded like Xehranort…no, there was no evil in that…_

_Either way I think it's time to get out of here—I think I underestimated this kid._ The flames were just inches away before Ruxik stepped through a portal.

* * *

Gasping for breath, Riku looked around. After all his work to deflect Ruxik's attack he seemed to have escaped. Weakly Riku prepared a defensive stance, ready for his foe to strike. Suddenly… 

"You going to finish that sentence, Riku?" Kairi asked. Riku stood confused for a moment before he remembered what had happened before the battle.

"Uh…yeah…it's a great honor, Master—"

Olette gasped. "Riku! What's that!"

Riku followed her pointing finger and saw a shimmering black shard on his arm. He recognized it as one of Ruxik's attacks and tried to pull it out of his arm but immediately winced in pain and let go. _I thought I blocked them all…then again there were hundreds of those things…_

"Don't try to pull that out yourself!" Olette commanded. "Something like that requires some magical healing work...but how'd it get there?" Riku sighed, sat down on a chunk of rubble and relayed the tale of the battle to his companions.

Yen Sid nodded in understanding. "I suspected as much. This is both a curse and a blessing; you will find connections with Ruxik that you never knew existed. The visions you've been having may only be a sign of things to come. Stay on your guard, and remember that you know have a great weapon in your fight against Ruxik and Maleficent. The Master Forge and my library offer two of the greatest weapons of all: Keyblades and knowledge. Never underestimate their power!"

Riku nodded gravely. _I can already take him…imagine what it'll be like when I'm even stronger…_

"And make sure you never forget Kairi," Yen Sid continued. "She is the new Keyblade Master. She will need some training to acclimate to this new role. I believe I can trust you with that job."

"Way to make me sound helpless, Master," Kairi cut in sarcastically. Riku gave a smug joking grin before he saw a familiar short figure come in through a white portal.

"Your Majesty!" Riku cried. Immediately he stood up and knelt respectfully, ignoring the pain in his arm from interrupting Olette's treatment. The rest followed suit with bows and curtsies.

"Don't worry about the formalities, guys," King Mickey said hurriedly. "I need Riku and Kairi down at the castle. There's a war going on down there!"

Kairi perked up a bit. "Who? What do they want?"

"Heartless and Nobodies as usual. We have reason to believe Maleficent's behind it. We're not sure what they're after though. They just sprang up on us the other day."

Riku looked to Kairi. "Best way to learn is by doing, right?"

Kairi nodded. "I'm ready for this, Your Majesty."

"I'd better come too," Olette chimed in. "Riku's arm isn't fully healed."

Hayner sighed. "Guess that means we're in, Pence." His companion nodded.

Yen Sid prepared to speak, but the King cut him off. "Sorry, Yen Sid, you've got work to do here. These guys should be enough to stave them off. If not we'll let ya know." The old man nodded as he watched the eager troupe bound into another portal.

"Bye, Yen Sid! Thanks for everything!" Riku shouted back just as the portal closed. Yen Sid sighed and turned to his destroyed tower.

_This could take a while…_

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Ruxik stepped out of his portal into the top room of the Castle That Never Was. He saw Maleficent poring over her crystal ball and muttering excitedly. "What's the story here?" Receiving no answer, he strode towards the green sphere and saw an intense battle occurring. Waves of Heartless and Nobodies were surging towards Disney Castle, but many were destroyed by the small crew of Radiant Garden residents. 

He turned to Maleficent with a scowl. "I only wanted a diversion not a war! My plan failed anyway; you might as well call a withdrawal."

Maleficent finally looked up from the crystal ball. "Don't you understand? This is our chance to eliminate another Keyblade bearer. That wretched mouse will be out of our way, leaving only Riku and Kairi. And since the girl is almost certain to fall, that means we will only have to destroy Riku."

Ruxik's mind raced as he analyzed this situation. _And if the King died, that'd be another source of information eliminated. And maybe we could get Kairi to break. Maybe if she fails in battle she'll be easier to manipulate…or she might die. I'd prefer the former however…that can be arranged of course._

"So? What do you think?" Maleficent queried.

Ruxik smiled evilly. "Send in more troops. If we're going to start a war let's make sure it's a victory."

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_Reviews are awesome!_


	11. Welcome to the Army, Kiddo

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, C2-Chikaru, japaneserocker and fallenxxangel for reviewing, and thanks to HorseMagic17 and C2-Chikaru for the fave adds! Special thanks to singintoyourself for helping name my OCs!_

_I only own my OCs, nothing more. And if you're reading in this category, you'd better know who they are. On with the story!_

**XI. "Welcome to the Army, Kiddo"**

With a rush of wind and light Riku and his companions appeared in the Hall of the Cornerstone. Riku's eyes took in the expansive hall before he noticed something unusual. "Your Majesty, the Cornerstone…"

The King sighed. "I know; it's dimmer. Normally it repels darkness, but there are so many Heartless…I think somehow they're sapping its energy."

Kairi remained silent as she tried to hide the strange sensation that had taken over her. She'd never seen the Cornerstone before; she'd only heard of it through Sora's stories. But there was something about that bright sphere. _That light…I wish I could save it…_

_Wait…what?! Why am I so attached to this thing?! It just suddenly makes sense…_She stared at the sphere, ignoring the Guardians' inquisitive looks.

"Um…Kairi? Hello?" Hayner said, waving in front of her eyes. "You awake in there?"

Kairi suddenly snapped back to reality and noticed that she was emanating a pure white light. Disregarding the brightness, she stared at the light and scanned her body, stopping at her hands. A strange mark was engraved in her palms: a crown superimposed over a heart. Surrounding this mark were four smaller marks: a cross, a flame, a gavel and a dress even whiter than the rest of her body.

She looked around in fear before Pence spoke up. "Ah, I know what this is. If a Princess of Heart is that close to the Cornerstone, strange things might happen. Sometimes it's a raw outburst of light that could accidentally be pretty deadly in someone so young. You're lucky the Cornerstone's a bit dim now, Kairi. But if we can teach you to control your light…"

A smile spread across Kairi's face. "I like the sound of that."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think we're needed outside," Riku cut in. He followed the King out of the Hall, and everyone else followed suit. Kairi was the last to leave.

_Don't worry. I'll make sure you come out alright._

_I'm talking to a rock! What is wrong with me?_ With that she turned and left as her body returned to normal.

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Riku and King Mickey were the first out of the hall. They stepped into another vacant white room, this time the throne room. No Heartless were there, but Riku's keen ears picked up the high squeal of a Shadow nearby. 

"They're at the door," he said coolly. He drew Way to the Dawn and charged the gigantic door with King Mickey right behind him.

"Hold everything! You're forgetting something, Riku!" called Olette. Suddenly Riku felt a twinge of pain in his arm. Looking down, he saw a shard from Ruxik's attack still wedged in his skin. Sighing, he turned back and jogged towards Olette.

"Sorry, Your Majesty!" he apologized.

"Don't worry, Riku," the King replied. "I'll take Kairi for a bit while you're getting patched up." At this point Kairi was barely up the stairs to the throne room, but a well-placed Aero spell had her at the King's side in no time.

Riku walked up to her and gave her an encouraging pat on the back. "Knock 'em dead, Kairi. And don't worry. You've got the King on your side." He jogged towards Olette as Kairi nodded grimly.

Mickey turned to her with a grin. "Hey, lighten up, Kairi! This is nothing you can't handle, just a couple of Heartless!" With that he opened the door with his Keyblade.

Riku's ears hadn't lied: there were a few Shadows, but they were totally dwarfed by a Heartless Kairi had never even seen before. It vaguely resembled a giant Soldier, but it was armed with two giant scimitars and wore thick armor over a dark red garment and a black helmet instead of a gray one. Before Kairi could fully register the beast, it threw one of the scimitars at Mickey. The King dodged it with a well-timed jump before countering with a Light spell. The huge Heartless let out a bellow of pain before charging the King again.

"What _is_ that thing?" Kairi asked in fear. Mickey threw the Heartless aside with a Magnet spell before answering.

"That's an Admiral; there aren't too many of them. Big, powerful, and that armor makes the Keyblade pretty useless. He'll test your magic skills nicely."

_Well, I've always been good with magic_, Kairi thought. She quickly launched a Thundaga and smiled at the Admiral's pain.

"That's the way! Just stay on your guard!" Mickey shouted. He ran up to the beast that was easily five times his height and nimbly ran around it, casting spells of all kinds. Kairi instantly recognized the diversion and tried to focus. She needed something powerful…

"Graviga!" she cried. A huge black orb hovered in midair for a second, giving Mickey just enough time to escape before it flattened the Admiral. It returned to its normal shape a bit dazed before Mickey finished it with a Firaga.

"That's how it's done!" he exclaimed. "But it looks like there are still a lot of them left. Think you can handle them without me?"

Kairi pondered this for a bit. "Eh, backup couldn't hurt, but I think they need you elsewhere."

Mickey nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. I'll get a few of my Knights to give you a hand." With that he waved his Keyblade and muttered a summons, and within seconds Goofy and two knights like him appeared. Kairi had never seen Goofy like this though; instead of his green vest and yellow pants he was adorned in a tight red garment with the royal insignia (one large circle attached to two smaller circles) emblazoned in black on the front. He looked ready for battle as did his two companions, both similarly clothed except for their green garments.

"Kairi!" shouted Goofy happily. He immediately gave her an enthusiastic bear hug as Kairi laughed. Suddenly Goofy seemed to realize something as he backed off and bowed, his two companions following suit. Seeing Kairi's confused expression, he winked and replied, "Well, you are a Princess, aren't you?"

She put on an indignant expression and put her hands on her hips. "You never did this before! And don't tell me you forgot!"

Goofy shook his head. "No, that's nawt it. Ya see, Princesses of Heart don't come of age till they're eighteen. And the royal calendar says your birthday wasn't too long ago."

Kairi pondered this for a second. "What are you talking about? My birthday isn't for another three months!"

King Mickey cut in. "Ah, but we have a different calendar here at the castle. Our years are a few days shorter than yours. And that's the calendar by which Princesses are judged, and that's the day when your true powers start to show. So that's probably why you were suddenly so attached to the Cornerstone!"

Before Kairi could respond, one of the knights with Goofy cut in. "We don't have time to chitchat, Princess; there's still a war going on here!"

The King nodded. "Sorry to take your time, guys. Wherever you're needed, go there!"

Kairi and the three knights saluted and ran through the door. Goofy quickly ran into the courtyard and pounded a Shadow with his shield before crawling under a bush. Noticing Kairi's confused expression, one of the knights responded, "There's a passageway under there leading to the armory. That's where the attack's been strongest!" With that both knights dove under the bush with Kairi right behind.

The tunnel led to a glowing portal that dropped the foursome near an arch with a sign above that read 'Royal Armory'. Kairi looked around and saw a huge mass of Heartless in the distance. Before she could comment, Goofy said abruptly, "Oh, sawry, I forgot to introduce these guys! That one over there is Piney, and that one's Acorn."

Piney seemed like the typical hardened veteran; his figure was tall and sinewy, his dog-like face had several deep scars, and his eyes were a steely gray. Acorn was shorter and more energetic-looking; Kairi guessed he was several years younger. As she scanned the two, Piney approached with a look on his face that suggested that he was scanning her too.

"Um, can I help you?" she replied, a little peeved.

Piney didn't respond for a few seconds. Finally he responded in an ominous voice devoid of Goofy's smooth drawl. "I don't think you're ready for this. I can see it in your eyes. And your body…you're too weak for th—OW!"

The heavy weight of Save the King+ hit Piney at full force. Goofy stood a few meters off with an angry expression on his face. "I won't have you talking like that to a Princess of Heart, Piney! Apologize then drop and give me fifty!"

"Yes, sir," Piney answered coolly. He turned to Kairi again. "Sorry, Your Majesty." Under his breath he whispered, "This changes nothing."

"What was that, soldier?!"

"Nothing, sir." Piney dropped to the ground and began doing pushups, his muscular body not showing any effort.

Kairi shook her head as she walked towards Acorn. "Are all of you like him?"

Acorn shrugged. "Ya get some strange types here. But hey, it's hard to top him as a fighter. Ya learn to make alliances with those guys. Oh!" Suddenly his hand dove into his pocket and pulled out a small glowing orb, about the size of a small pebble. "This here's a magic rock. If ya swallow this, we'll always know you're on our side. It's hard to trust anyone these days, ya know."

Kairi took the orb and swallowed. She felt a rush of energy course through her, and her skin glowed briefly. As she returned to normal, Goofy came up to her, having seen the whole thing. "Welcome to the Army, kiddo."

Kairi gulped. _This might be more than I bargained for._

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_Reviews are awesome!_


	12. On the Eve of Battle

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, oathkeeper and japaneserocker for reviewing!_

_I use the word Aduro as a spell in this chappie and one previously…it means 'light' in Latin. The title is a quote from "Broadcast Quality" by The Receiving End of Sirens._

_I own only my OCs Ruxik, Piney and Acorn and the plot. Without further ado…_

**XII. On the Eve of Battle**

With a slash of his shining gold Keyblade the King destroyed an attacking Soldier, but it had done some damage; there was a gash down his left ear. It was fairly long but fortunately not too deep and nothing a Hi-Potion wouldn't cure. He signaled a knight and magician who were also guarding the area and started running back towards the castle from an outer courtyard. He entered his throne room and then went down the stairs but made a right, entering the castle's Healing Room. Now it was a full-blown hospital with teams of magicians and healers working to undo damage from the Heartless and Nobodies. King Mickey's short stature meant he was relatively unnoticed, and besides he wasn't worried much about his health anyway. Riku was his concern now. Ruxik's attack might be more dangerous than either Riku or the Guardians thought.

He saw a teenaged duck pushing a cart of medical supplies. _Well, we could use some potions out on the battlefield…_ "Hello, you, young sir!"

The duck looked around for a second before seeing the King and bowing politely. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"When you're done with that, could you get a few carts' worth of potions to the north wing? We're out at the moment."

"Yes, sir!" The duck saluted smartly before continuing on his way at a notably faster pace. The King smiled and continued walking, still looking for someone. Finally he caught a glimpse of Olette's orange shirt standing out against the sea of hospital white. He walked through a thick curtain (Riku was famous among the King's subjects; his presence would have certainly led to a mob following him around which might not have been his preference) and saw all three Guardians working busily. Riku was lying asleep on a hospital bed with a wide, deep wound in his arm.

King Mickey's eyes widened. "Gosh! What happened?"

Olette looked at the King in surprise and quickly curtsied respectfully; the other Guardians followed suit with bows. "Ruxik's a bit of a tricky one…once we tried to remove that shard, it plunged in deeper and cut a muscle, and muscle regeneration is a really old and really annoying spell…"

"Tell me about it!" exclaimed Pence. "I haven't had to use it in centuries! I don't normally see things that aren't healed with an Aduro anymore."

"Ruxik probably thought about that," Hayner replied as he surveyed a computer screen. "Remember, he's Riku's Nobody, and Riku seems like the calculating type."

"That is true," the King replied. "Anything I can do here?"

Olette shook her head. "Sorry, no. Unless you know enough Aexyrthan to recite a muscle regeneration spell…"

The King smiled sadly. "Point taken. What are Riku's chances?"

"Of survival? He'll live, but I doubt he'll be in fighting shape for a few days. That shard left some dark powers running through him…they can be drained, but it takes a bit. And an Aduro won't work here," Olette replied.

The King nodded. "Alright then. I'll see you later then." He walked out of the makeshift booth and grabbed a Potion on his way out, rubbing the soothing liquid on the wound on his ear and sighed as he felt the healing magic cure his cut. _Kairi's got to do this alone then. Well, it's probably for the best if she's to be the new Keyblade Master…_

_I just hope she's cut out for this_.

* * *

Ruxik looked out over the city of Obliviate from the Altar of Naught. The dark and gray didn't make for much of a view, but it was a good place to seethe as he was now. As his Nobody Ruxik had some connections to Riku, one of which was feeling his pain. It didn't happen immediately upon wedging the shard of darkness in Riku's arm nor was it as painful, but the pain was still there. Ruxik hated pain. It was one of the many downsides of half-existing: one felt pain, but couldn't easily find source of happiness to divert attention from the pain. Of course Ruxik would be pleased with a dead King Mickey and a brokenhearted Kairi, but that pleasure would only be temporary. Nothing was ever permanent as a Nobody, and he despised that which was why he had thought up his dark plan. If he played his cards right, all of his problems would be solved. And right now Maleficent was playing those cards!

There were certainly worse accomplices than that witch. She was competent at least; Ruxik was shocked she had put up with Pete for so long although she wasn't too upset when he met his doom by way of an unfortunate accident involving a particularly vicious Twilight Thorn. But she was a bit too intelligent and cunning for Ruxik's tastes; she might at any moment turn on him and simply work on claiming Disney Castle and the life of King Mickey. Then again with a stupider accomplice this plan might not work. And nothing could possibly be worse than this plan failing.

Deciding he had had enough of seething, Ruxik strode down the cavernous room where Maleficent kept her crystal ball. Once again she had a birds-eye view of the massive castle. Heartless and Nobodies crawled around like so many ants repelled by tiny flashes of light. Ruxik approached without her noticing and queried, "Where are the Keybladers?"

Maleficent didn't lift her head but muttered an incantation, and the crystal ball became covered in black and green flame. In a moment it showed King Mickey leaving the Healing Room. "The mouse is in the castle…" She muttered another spell and when the flames disappeared, they showed Riku lying on the hospital bed, surrounded by the Guardians. "Riku's wounded…" The process repeated once more to reveal Kairi, Piney and Acorn near the Armory. A smirk spread across Ruxik's face.

"That's good to see; the King is out of the way, and my vessel should be out of it for a while. Well, no time like the present. Let's give the girl something to do."

Now it was Maleficent's turn to smirk. She shouted a third spell and in a few moments a black orb appeared and spat out a Heartless Admiral. The huge black beast saluted crisply, its huge gray claws glinting in the light of the crystal ball.

"Round up three hundred soldiers and attack the armory with all haste. Isolate the girl," Maleficent ordered.

"And keep her alive! If any soldier kills her, you'll feel pain you never dreamed was possible," Ruxik cut in. Malice and dark sincerity dripped from his voice, making the Admiral quake at the knees. He recovered his composure, saluted once more and left through a portal.

As he flew through the dark corridors back to the castle, anxious thoughts raced through his simple brain. _She's of age…can we win? Does she know? Must win…must break her…_

* * *

The four soldiers sat tensely near the armory. Kairi was sharpening Oathkeeper carefully, trying not to break the beautiful spindles that made the blade's point. Acorn was tearing branches off of trees and skillfully making arrows with a small knife and a supply of feathers. Goofy was polishing his shield while Piney sat with a dark expression on his face. All were waiting on the inevitable battle that would soon occur with fear and adrenaline coursing through their veins. Piney was the exception; he had seen so many battles that he no longer felt his own fear. Fighting was natural to him, and victory was his obsession. He only worried for the Princess. _She's nothing like the King or the other two Keyblade bearers. It's not that she's a girl; I've heard the legends of women bearing the blade just as well as men. But she doesn't even know she's of age…she doesn't know her own power. She might kill us if she's not careful._

Caught up in his thoughts, he almost failed to notice the rising cloud of dust, but his keen eyes caught it eventually. "Captain! They're coming!"

Goofy immediately stood and looked toward the horizon. "Yup, that's them alright. Looks like a lot of them…"

Acorn was in a yew tree with particularly arrow-ready branches. He climbed to the top for a better view and saw the squadrons of Heartless. "I'd say give 'em ten minutes, Captain. And they're going all out; they've got Invisibles, Behemoths…and I think I see a Darkside!

The Captain of the Royal Knights was deep in thought for a moment before he barked an order. "Get down from that tree and get some reinforcements on the double!" Acorn nimbly hopped down from his branch and with a salute began to run in the same awkward ambling style as Goofy.

"How soon will they get here, Goofy?" Kairi asked.

"Well, depends on how free the army is, Princess," Goofy replied. "I'd say…abawt ten minutes, maybe more."

"We don't have that kind of time, Captain," Piney growled. "They're coming too quickly. We're going to have to hold them off on our own."

Kairi was shocked. "Three of us against all of them?!"

She was answered by Piney's ashen furious expression. "That's what we do in the army. That's what Keybladers do. That's what Sora did if the legends are true. So shut up and fight!"

A livid Goofy came up to Piney and shoved him to the ground so he was facedown at Kairi's feet. "You'll get the rest of your punishment later, soldier! Talk to her like that again, and I'll have you working till you can't stand on your own two feet! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes, sir!" Piney replied with mock obedience as he pulled himself from the dirt. As he tried to stand, he was knocked over again by the weight of Oathkeeper. Kairi was fed up with Piney's snide comments by this point, and something in her decided that this was only fair.

"Don't you _ever_ doubt me," she snarled. "And don't blame me if you don't leave here alive. Got it?"

Piney looked up with a mixture of shock, anger and another expression Kairi couldn't place. "Understood, Princess." _So maybe she's got something in her after all._

Kairi turned from the royal knight and looked at her hand. Two of the white marks she had seen in the Hall of the Cornerstone was glowing. The dress and cross weren't visible, but the gavel was almost blindingly bright, and the flame was fairly noticeable as well.

_Too bad I have no idea what that means. And why did he have to mention Sora? _

_Can't think about that now. I've got a battle ahead of me. And it's time to show that idiot Piney what I'm really made of._

* * *

_A/N: Reviews please!_


	13. First Taste of War

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself for reviewing!_

_I own Ruxik, Acorn and Piney, all OCs of mine. On with the story!_

**XIII. First Taste of War**

The Heartless army came ever closer. Kairi's grip on her blade grew tighter, and a bead of nervous sweat ran down her cheek.

_I must be strong…to shut up Piney…and for Sora…_

The marks on her hand had dimmed slightly. She wondered what that meant but found no conclusive answers. All she knew was that it had something to do with the Cornerstone and her coming of age as a true Princess of Heart. There was some power within her, but she didn't know how to release it.

_What happened at Pence's…is that it? Can I just erupt in flames? Yen Sid that can be controlled though; it's just an Ultima Spell. He can do it, and he's no Princess. Maybe there's a connection though…maybe my hidden power is some powerful magic…but it only happened when I thought of Sora. I'd rather keep my mind off of him…_

"Your Majesty?" drawled a familiar voice. Kairi snapped out of her deep thought and looked to Goofy. "I'm gonna need ya on the front lines, Your Majesty. Keyblade's not much good sitting in the back."

Kairi swallowed painfully and nodded. _Guess I can't weasel my way out._ "Ready when you are."

"Good. I was thinking we charge them, take 'em by surprise. With the Keyblade we could do some damage, and Piney and Acorn'll defend the castle till we get reinforcements."

_Oh, great. More pressure. Well, can't show it._ "When?"

"I'll give the signal. You stick to their left flank, I'll take the right."

Kairi nodded in understanding, trying to hide her swelling fear of fighting alone, a first for her. "Any word on Riku?"

Goofy shook his head. "No news is good news, though. Don't be nervous; you've fought this stuff before. The Keyblade chose you for a reason, remember?"

Kairi breathed deeply and nodded. Looking over the horizon again, she was taken aback at how close the Heartless were. Goofy followed her gaze and tensed noticeably.

"Well, then, no time to waste. Head thataway, and I'll give the signal. Piney, Acorn, make sure none of them get inside. Understood?"

Both soldiers nodded and saluted crisply. Kairi briefly saluted with her Keyblade, purposefully saluting towards Acorn. Then she jogged towards the left, brandishing Oathkeeper to prepare herself for the upcoming clash. Soon Goofy was only a red speck in the distant except for Save the King catching the fading sunlight.

_Oh man, they're close…can I do this alone? I so wish Sora was here…_

_Can't think about that now…_ She swiped Oathkeeper again, half-expecting to hear the sound of cutting tension. _Sora would want me to be strong. I have the Keyblade. So I'd best shut up. Besides Riku and the rest of the army will be here soon. I'll survive. _

Looking to her right, she saw the gleam of light rise. Goofy was raising his arm. _That must be the signal_. _Well, I guess I can't turn back now._

* * *

Ruxik excitedly watched this scene unfold. It took almost all of his restraint to stop himself from dancing in sadistic glee. "This is what I've been waiting for! Kairi's alone, and she's not yet trained! This can only end well!"

"Hush!" Maleficent whispered angrily. She cocked her ear towards the crystal ball, trying to hear the battle more clearly (she had made a slight mistake with the sound reproduction spell when she first made this crystal ball). "Calm down. She's no good dead, and there's a good chance she'll die on her own."

This realization calmed Ruxik just slightly. "The Heartless know when to stop. If she's unconscious, she's fine."

"These are Heartless we're talking about, remember," Maleficent replied. "They're little more than animals. Trusting them is not always the safest option."

"If they get too close, I'll intervene," Ruxik countered. "Don't try to deprive me of one of my few shots at happiness. Remember who I am and what life is like without a heart!"

"Am I supposed to care?"

"I'll ignore that…"

* * *

In the Healing Room Olette uttered the final syllables of a muscle regeneration spell just as Riku woke from his magic-induced anesthesia.

"What the…HOLY CRAP, MY ARM!" Riku gaped at the huge incision on his bicep.

Hayner cringed. "Olette, you probably should have made sure he'd still be asleep…"

Olette finished the spell and turned to Hayner angrily. "And you should have reminded me! I was poring over the King's book of Aexyrthan; I wasn't thinking about the details!"

"STOP ARGUING AND FIX _THIS!_" Riku shouted, pointing at his wound. Pence coolly uttered a healing spell as the other two Guardians continued to argue. "I hope I don't have to see that again! What were you even doing?!"

"Ruxik's shard cut your muscle," Pence answered. "It took us a while to find an appropriate spell to regenerate it quickly enough."

"Quickly enough? Do they need me for something?"

"Well…it doesn't matter if they do. You're not in fighting shape as you'll probably see right about…"

Riku moved his arm as he stood up, trying to leave, and winced instantly and grabbed the pained limb.

"…now. See my point? You're going to be out of action for two days maybe."

Riku shook his head and clenched his teeth angrily. "Kairi's alone, and what if Ruxik shows up?"

"You underestimate King Mickey."

"He can't be everywhere at once!"

"You also underestimate Kairi."

"She's never really fought before! She can't just be thrown into the thick of battle like that!"

"Why not? Some learn best by doing." Pence's utter calm contrasted Riku's almost raging concern so greatly that he felt it radiating into himself.

"Still…"

"She'll have a few royal knights to help her. Besides it's been pretty quiet out there."

The sound of anxious racing footsteps startled Riku and Pence and silenced the squabbling Olette and Hayner. Pence left the makeshift booth and looked out the Healing Room's door to see several squadrons of royal knights charging down the hallway.

_Not a good sign_, Pence thought. _Maybe there is a battle going on…_

_I must have faith in her. A Princess of Heart and a Keyblade bearer? The potential is enormous. I only hope she maintains her composure out there._

* * *

"CHARGE!"

With that one word Kairi let out a furious shriek and sprinted head-on to meet the Heartless. Legions of Shadows led the assault, and they all fell like chaff before the swift wrath of Oathkeeper. Any Heartless that snuck through this swirling vortex of death was burned with a swift Firaga or repulsed with a Reflega. The light of freed hearts flying to Kingdom Hearts turned the dusk to midday.

Finally the Heartless realized that Kairi would not be stopped so easily and began to throw tougher targets at her. Wyverns swooped down, slashing with their huge claws. Defenders threw their animated shields, trying to cut and bite her skin. Invisibles slashed their massive swords and stealthily tried to warp around her. All of these and more foes were stopped; the sound of Oathkeeper clanging off of claws, shields and swords reverberated through the air. Soon after these sounds a yell of "Thundaga!" or "Graviga!" echoed through the air, and the unfortunate Heartless ceased to exist.

_No way…I'm actually doing it! _Kairi felt a rush that she'd never experienced before: battle lust. She began to enjoy the fight and the thrills that went along with it: walking the fine line between victory and survival, the power of the kill…the Heartless were simply no match for her.

Eventually they realized that

Kairi felt the air grow colder—much colder. She looked around and saw the Heartless clearing a path before her as if she was walking to the throne of royalty.

_Odd…_ Suddenly the reason for this strange behavior struck her. Looking up, she also found the source of the cold. A gigantic, opaque figure stood before her with limbs that bore a strange resemblance to splintered wood and a mouth that seemed to contain the very essence of winter's chill. Orbiting this colossal figure was a ring of chunks of ice bigger than Kairi's entire body.

_An Ice Titan…_

_

* * *

_

_A/N: Review please!_


	14. Flying Solo

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself and PrincessKeira (4x!) for reviewing!_

_My OCs are mine. Kingdom Hearts fans better know who they are. Without further ado…_

**XIV. Flying Solo**

King Mickey raced through his castle's corridors. _I never should have left her alone…she can't handle this on her own…she has to learn eventually, but I didn't start fighting whole armies! She's new…and we're without Riku…_

He passed the throne room and quickly signaled to the nearest lieutenant to carry on the charge. The lieutenant nodded and kept running as his king ran to the Healing Room. There he saw Riku walking slowly, carefully avoiding any hazards to his injured arm.

"Riku! Glad to see you're awake!" exclaimed King Mickey before quickly covering his mouth. Fortunately only a few patients stirred before decided nothing noteworthy had happened.

Riku attempted an obviously pained bow. "Thanks, Your Majesty, but with all due respect I'm not too glad about this," he replied, pointing to his arm.

The King nodded sympathetically. "That must be terrible! Tell ya what; I'll still let ya in on the battle! How good of a commander are ya?"

Riku's eyes lit up with this possibility. He was always a very tactical, planning individual, and this was as close as he could get to the action as his arm healed. "I'd be honored, Your Majesty."

"Great! Come with me," replied the King. He quickly strode out of the door with Riku gingerly following. A few flights of stairs and several long hallways followed before Riku found himself on the castle battlements. Myriad stars lit the night sky as the sounds of battle echoed all the way up the castle.

"I've got to let my soldiers know that you're authorized, so don't order anyone around for a bit," said the King. "I'll send a signal when you're good."

"Yes, Your Majesty," answered Riku. He bowed as his king left. Looking around, he could see some glimpses of the battle by the light of stars and spells. One Firaga revealed an extremely thick opaque foot and a thin figure narrowly dodging it. Another Firaga showed that the small figure bore an ornate sword and had reddish-brown just reaching its shoulders.

_Kairi?!_

A huge transparent fist caught the starlight, and a tremor shook the ground. Kairi's sword slashed away while the fist was slowly lifted from the earth, and the friction from her slashes made small sparks that melted nearby ice.

_An Ice Titan?! There's no way she'll live…_

_I must have faith in her…_

_I don't. _

_Just don't die, Kairi!_

* * *

"He just doesn't die, does he?" Kairi muttered. She had launched Firaga after Firaga, and this huge beast seemed to have taken no damage. She had tried to play cat and mouse, letting its fists come close enough to hack away with Oathkeeper. Nothing worked; the Titan lived up to its name.

Finally Kairi decided that she had had enough. "Stopga!" she cried. As if on cue the Ice Titan ceased to move. With an Aeroga spell she levitated to the Titan's face and launched a torrent of slashes and spells. Chips of ice flew off, and Kairi thought she had done some damage at last. This thought quickly ended when the spell wore off and the Titan's massive hand sent Kairi falling back to earth.

_I'mgonnadie I'mgonnadie I'mgonna…_ "Aeroga!" Kairi shouted frantically, pointing her Keyblade towards the ground. The resulting wind slowed down her fall and allowed her to land safely and on her feet. This only seemed to anger the Titan which then responded by conjuring a ring of massive ice chunks and sending them flying towards her.

"Reflega!" Kairi cried. The typical bubble appeared around her, and the majority of the ice was sent flying into the Titan or the nearby Heartless spectators. The Titan however seemed to have a trick up its sleeve. A final chunk flew towards Kairi just as her Reflega faded. This time Kairi's reflexes failed her, and she felt the agonizing combination of frigid cold and excruciating pain. Lying on the ground, she barely managed to turn her head and examine herself. She saw her limbs slowly being covered in blue almost like scales, and she felt her veins fill with ice. She could barely move, and she felt her brain shutting down.

_Come on…no…so cold…can't move…am I dying? Will I see Sora?_

_Sora…_

_He wouldn't want me to die…_

_I have to save myself…cure myself…_

"Curaga!" Blissful relief coursed through Kairi as she regained the power of movement. She shook off the thoughts of Sora as she stared at the Ice Titan who returned her triumphant stare with one of disbelief.

"I'm not going down that easily, Ruxik," she said defiantly. "I only hope you're watching!" She brandished her weapon threateningly and stabbed the Titan's foot. "Firaga!"

The fire of the spell coursed through the Titan. Once-thick ice began to melt into puddles, and the Heartless screamed in pain. The lesser Heartless watching nearby began to hiss in agitation. Flailing arms of ice quickly became waves of lukewarm water that drenched Kairi. Finally the ice around the chest of the Titan melted, and a heart flew towards the distant light in the sky that was Kingdom Hearts

With their leader gone the Heartless reverted to instincts; they proceeded to swarm Kairi. Neoshadows and Invisibles swarmed her only to be repulsed by several slashes of Oathkeeper.

_Maybe I really can handle this…_

* * *

Her request was granted; Ruxik and Maleficent were watching this spectacle. But had Kairi been there, she would not have seen expressions of shock, disbelief or even frustration. Maleficent bore her typical indifferent scowl, while Ruxik was slightly smiling.

"She's only setting herself up for a greater fall," he muttered. "She'll be cockier and cockier, and when she does fail, she'll be even easier to manipulate…"

"Do you always say your plans aloud?" Maleficent interrupted, exasperated with the redundant chatter.

"You're quite sarcastic; you know that?" Ruxik countered.

"And you're not?"

"That's not the point."

"Does my sarcasm just go over your head?"

"Your mother never hugged you, didn't she?"

"At least I had a mother."

"What kind of comeback is that?"

"It's true, no?"

"Doesn't prove a thing."

"Neither do your comments."

"Oh, come on, the mother remark had to hurt."

"I never liked her all that much."

"Shut up and watch the girl."

"I was until your inane babbling interrupted me! Don't you remember how this started?"

"Do you want absolute power or not?"

"You sound like a child!"

"Remember, I started to exist at the age of fourteen."

"It shows." Maleficent looked down at the glass to prevent another retort; this argument was annoying her, and Ruxik's childishness was grating on her ancient nerves. In a tone that was finally devoid of sarcasm she returned her focus to the battle. "What do you propose we do about the mouse and your vessel?"

"Let the mouse lend her a hand, and leave Riku alone. I have plans that those three can't possibly foil."

"You've said similar things many—"

"Not a word! I know what I'm doing."

Maleficent nearly replied before realizing this would lead into another time-wasting argument. _This Nobody has no idea of who I am…this will surely be his downfall._

_

* * *

_

Riku stood on the castle battlements in shock. _Kairi just took down an Ice Titan! I can't believe it! I thought she was dead back there…I guess she'll be ok as the Keyblade Master._

_I just wish I could fight. But no, Ruxik HAD to ruin everything…_

With a sigh he turned and strode back into the castle. As he rounded a corner, he collided head-on with King Mickey. Riku was unaffected by this, but the lightweight King immediately hit the floor.

"Your Majesty! I'm so sorry; are you alright?" Riku's concern quickly turned to happiness as King Mickey responded with laughter.

"Aw, I'm fine, Riku!" he exclaimed as he regained his feet. "I was just coming to say the troops know your new position! You can start ordering them around right about now."

"Thanks, Your Majesty," Riku replied. "Can they hear me from the battlements?"

"Probably not but I'll tell you what. I'll whip up an Aero and you can use that to get around."

"Sounds like a good plan, Your Majesty," Riku answered with a nod. He stood patiently as the King conjured the spell. A powerful wind swirled around Riku until it was difficult to hear much else. Soon the noise subsided, and Riku found he could hover if he jumped into the air.

"That's a little specialty of mine," King Mickey said proudly. "You can fly around with that; just jump off the ground and steer it around by pointing."

Curiously Riku pointed his arm to the right and to his surprise found himself soaring down the corridor. "This is awesome!" He slowly returned to the ground, but the wind still blew. Thanking the King once again, he returned to the battlements and looked to see where he was needed. Naturally his first glance was to Kairi who was still fighting well, fending off all the Heartless thrown at her. The creatures didn't seem to understand the idea that getting close to her resulted in a Reflega sending them flying back. An Invisible managed to break through with a sword slash, but Kairi artfully flipped back onto her feet and stabbed the Invisible's torso, destroying it instantly.

_I think she's got the hang of this…and what's that there? _A stream of red was penetrating the sea of black; the royal knights had entered the fray, and the Heartless were getting steadily driven back. _This might be easier than I thought…_

* * *

"Princess! You can drop out; come back when you're not tired!" called a knight.

"I'm not…" Kairi began to call, but she suddenly felt how fatigued she was. Her muscles were screaming from the exertion of the Ice Titan battle and the skirmishes that followed. "Coming!"

She turned her back to the Heartless and the crimson-clad knights. _Ruxik's not going to have his way so easily…I know we're going to win here. I just know it._

* * *

_Reviews are awesome!_


	15. Cease Fire

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, PrincessKeira, SoraLover1994, fallenxxangel and japaneserocker for reviewing! Special thanks to singintoyourself for her female opinion on a topic of which I, being male, know next to nothing!_

_I own Ruxik and my other OCs, yadda yadda yadda. Sorry for the delay! Things didn't go according to plan—otherwise this would have been up on Monday. Anyway on with the story!_

**XV. Cease-Fire**

Exhausted, Kairi headed back to the castle with a mix of anxious haste and fatigued lethargy. The adrenaline rush of battle had worn off, and the fights with the Heartless were finally catching up to her. She strode through an open door, and as she closed it, she collapsed.

"Oh, man, so…TIRED!" Kairi moaned. Her entire body felt sore from the energy wasted in fighting, and the Ice Titan's freezing spell had certainly not been good for her health. "Oh, where's a place to…"

"Relax? Get an Elixir? Warm up?" said a kindly voice. Kairi looked up to see Riku staring down at her, barely concealing a smile and offering his hand.

"Hey! How've you been?" Kairi answered, taking his hand as Riku brought her to her feet.

"Meh, my arm's still not great, but I've just been appointed commander. I'm taking a reprieve from my duties to make sure you're alright."

"Wow. I'm just that important, huh?"

"Hmm…Keyblade Master…royal army…Keyblade Master wins!"

Kairi put her hands on her hips in fake shock. "You cruel, heartless person! You'd kill them all off?"

"Well…nah…but then again if you die it's a lot worse than if they do," Riku replied. "Losing _two_ Keybladers would not bode well for us."

"Point taken. Alright, take me to my room, slave!"

"Now you're pushing it."

"You said it yourself! I'm the Keyblade Master!"

"Ok, you know what? You want to find your own room? I'll turn the air conditioning up real high. You love cold, don't you?"

"Don't make me beat you with this!" Kairi brandished Oathkeeper threateningly.

"Don't make me beat you with _this_!" Riku drew Way to the Dawn…and grimaced in agony. "Stupid arm!" His Keyblade disappeared as his attitude deflated and Kairi's mock confidence grew. A steady stream of such banter continued until Kairi arrived at her room which was mark by a mahogany door with a doorknob that appeared to be made of silver. She was impressed by the look of it, but it did not in any way prepare her for what was inside.

"THIS is my room?!" she screamed in delight. A twenty foot-high ceiling covered the massive space. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf made of the same mahogany as the door took up the majority of the south wall (the entrance faced east). A beautiful veiled bed of silk colored in various shades of pink and red stood across from the bookshelf, not far from a hardwood desk, a mahogany bureau and a rug woven with golden and silver threads. A fireplace held three blazing logs that were attended by the castle's trademark animated household objects and emanated an intoxicatingly sweet smell. Ornate gold-framed paintings depicting great scenes in the history of the castle and the Keyblade covered the walls. In short if it had been Riku who had been given this room he would have been nearly sick to his stomach—even the books had subject matter in which he had no interest (seeing the title Flowers of Disney Castleconvinced him of this fact). Kairi on the other hand was right at home and immediately began to scope out her new quarters in greater detail.

"Alright, so you like the place. I'm four doors down the hall to your left, room 316. Got it?" Riku asked. Receiving no response, he exited the door, saying, "I'll take that as a yes." He shut the door and suppressed his disgust. _She likes it, and it's her room. Hopefully the King's got something better in mind for me._ He strode back up to the battlements to survey the current stream of events. He felt much more relaxed now that only experienced veterans were fighting. _Well, King Mickey's a better fighter than Kairi, right?_

* * *

Whether Riku was right nor not, the King was in the midst of a wave of Heartless. Four royal knights stood within a few yards, throwing their shields at the approaching fiends as the King cast spell after spell. After the Ice Titan's fall the Heartless seemed hesitant to let their best soldiers fight; for that matter they were hesitant to fight at all. Even the simpleton Shadows seemed unsure of themselves. Naturally the royal army took full advantage of this; barrages of powerful spells and clanging shields decimated the Heartless. Ruxik and Maleficent of course did not fail to notice this.

After the fall of yet another Neoshadow platoon Maleficent turned to her fellow commander. "I don't suppose you've got another ace up your sleeve, do you? That Ice Titan worked oh so well…"

"Shut up, hag! The war is only a secondary concern!" Ruxik fumed. Maleficent's sarcasm was getting on his nerves. This was highly unusual; he was a sarcastic person by nature.

"Hag? Is that what you call your betters? No wonder no one else will work with you."

"I didn't want any--better? Better? You're not even my equal!"

"Silence, whelp! I mastered darkness a thousand years before your vessel even existed!"

"And I've mastered it more fully!"

"You think you've learned more of the art of darkness in four years than I have in a thousand?"

"Don't make me prove it to you…" Ruxik's childish anger transformed into nearly tangible menace. Lesser souls would have been scared witless, but it took considerably more to stir emotion in Maleficent's ancient, withered soul.

"Is that a challenge? Surely you won't want your plans to fail at my hands! The lives of the Keybladers will mean nothing if you rot in Oblivion!"

Ruxik tensed himself as he prepared an attack…and then exhaled slowly. _The time is not right,_ he thought. _There's no point in playing my best card yet._ He adopted a calmer, businesslike tone."It was not a challenge. I'm just a bit frustrated with the recent events."

"Your vocabulary won't make you any more successful," Maleficent retorted, but she was a bit put off by Ruxik's sudden change in attitude. _He's normally so quick to anger…he's hiding something._

"Be that as it may…the war is not my top priority. For now the girl is our objective; once she is in our hands, the mouse stands the same chance as a raindrop in a wildfire. And I think we can take advantage of this little rest break."

"How so?"

"You can conjure and teleport matter, yes?"

Maleficent snorted haughtily. "Any witch worth—"

"Good. Start with this…"

* * *

After Riku had left, Kairi had collapsed upon her gorgeous bed and would have fallen asleep instantly if not for two facts: she was still in her normal attire, and the battle had made her uncomfortably dirty. She took a quick shower in the adjoining bathroom (_What doesn't this place have?_ she wondered) and was pleasantly surprised to see that the bureau now held her clothes from back home. After putting on a pale blue nightgown, she glanced around the room and saw that other things had made it from her home: a novel she had been reading for the past few days, a shell necklace, a shiny transparent stone she had found on the beach, a photo album…the list went on and on. _Funny how I didn't notice that stuff before…I guess I was just caught up in the how awesome this place is!_.

Just as she was about to relax in the incredible bed and drink a healing Elixir, she heard the sound of clanging steel and saw a flash of magical lightning—the sounds and sights of battle. This brought up a torrent of emotion in her. _Why am I relaxing? Do they not want me in the fight? What's going on? I'm a Keyblader and a Princess of Heart—they can't tell me not to fight!_ Outraged, she began to stride back to her bureau and find something battle—appropriate before someone knocked on her door.

"Come in!" she called, hiding her indignant feelings. Riku opened the door and poked his head in as if he feared he would be contaminated by the feminine air of the room.

"The King wanted me to tell you—there's been a cease-fire. For whatever reason the Heartless are drawing back. There's not going to be too much fighting for a while. But I guess you already knew that, judging by your clothes…"

"I swear; I don't know what happened! It just seemed like I had to change or something!" Kairi cried.

"Kairi, drink your Elixir—something's up with your head."

"Do you want me to throw one of these giant books at your face?"

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Then shut up!" Kairi shouted jokingly.

"Point taken," said Riku with a smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Kairi answered as Riku left. Now with no worries in her head she took her photo album and sipped her Elixir. Memories of the Destiny Islands flooded back into her head as soon as she opened to the first page. She had always loved taking pictures and had even joined her high school's photography club. Naturally she would take and keep pictures of everything because she liked to look at her pictures and reminisce. Now she flipped through pages of sunsets, beautiful birds and fish, a school 1-on-1 basketball tournament (Riku had beaten Sora in the final, causing a bitter hatred between the two for roughly half an hour) and other miscellaneous stuff of whatever she found funny, pretty or otherwise deserving of a photo. It was all fairly mindless and relaxing until she got to towards the back of the book. Here were pictures of the senior prom, one of the fondest memories of her entire life. There were almost thirty pictures of this night alone, all of different circumstances. Some were funny (Kairi and Selphie making odd faces and doing strange dances, Riku's attempt at breakdancing, etc). Some were just pictures of her and her friends. But there were several copies of photos taken by friends of her alone with Sora. At this point they had been dating for almost a year and a half, and they were still going strong. A scene from that night appeared in Kairi's mind…

_The prom was nearly over; with one more slowdance everyone would either head home or to one of the few parties planned (Destiny Islands High's senior class consisted of just about 100 people). Naturally Sora and Kairi spent these last few minutes in each others' arms. Both were exhausted from several hours of messing around with friends and plenty of dancing, but that wasn't why they were so close. They truly loved each other and didn't want the night to end. Who knew when the Heartless or Nobodies might strike the islands again? Times like this one had to be treasured._

_Sora looked upon the girl of his dreams who was resting her head on his shoulder. He lightly kissed her on the cheek, and she returned the favor before pulling her head back to look him in the eye. Sora could hardly help but stare. Wearing a formal sapphire dress, Kairi looked stunning. Sora felt unworthy to stand in her presence._

_"Something wrong with your eyes?" Kairi asked, alerting Sora to the fact that he must have looked totally unfocused. She knew he must have realized that by the way he snapped back to reality._

_"I just can't get over how incredible you look," Sora replied. "I feel like I'm dancing with an angel."_

_Kairi loved when Sora talked like this despite his obvious (at least to her) awkward manner. "You're too sweet."_

_"I'm being honest—just like I am when I tell you that I love you—" Kairi let out an involuntary gasp of delight as Sora had never said this yet—"and that I'll never leave you."_

_A tear of joy slid down Kairi's cheek, and she didn't bother to wipe it off. "I love you too, Sora."_

_They embraced even tighter, the scene repeating in Kairi's mind endlessly. She vaguely saw a flash of light from the distance—Riku must have sensed this moment was worth a photograph despite being too far away to hear a word. Kairi couldn't stop thinking of this moment for hours…_

More tears fell down Kairi's cheeks. A few were of joy of the beloved memory, but a most were of grief. Sora's words stood out in her mind but not the three that usually were so unforgettable. No, "I love you" wasn't echoing in her mind… "I'll never leave you" was.

It was only three months afterwards that Sora had been killed.

Kairi stared at the photos, trying to distract herself from this morbid thought, but she failed. She couldn't possibly forget.

_Well, then that's my motivation_, she thought. _I won't fight to forget Sora. I'll fight to honor his legacy. I won't let this ruin me. I'll keep fighting._

_It's what Sora would have wanted._

* * *

_A/N: Reviews please!_


	16. A Time for Rest

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself and japaneserockergirl for reviewing!_

_I apologize for my pathetic writing pace…drumline and school are doing their best to kill this story. But I'll do my best to keep it going!_

**XVI. A Time for Rest…**

Riku stood at the castle door, awaiting the return of the King. Soon enough the mouse led his weary troops through as a group of castle servants doled out Elixirs and Potions.

"How'd it go?" Riku asked King Mickey.

"Eh…" The King surveyed his troops. "They did some damage, but we didn't lose too many. They really wore them out though…I'm thinking they've got some strange magic at hand."

"I wouldn't doubt that. So does anyone really know why exactly they're attacking?"

"I haven't a clue!" King Mickey said emphatically. "It doesn't make any sense. I guess good old Maleficent wants this place again, but this isn't her style."

Riku pondered this but came up with no conclusive answers.

"But enough about this. How's Kairi?" said King Mickey.

"She seems to be fine. She really was impressed with her room, and she's not hurt or anything."

"Is she better with what's happened?"

"Um, Your Majesty, a lot's happened…"

"Meaning with Sora."

Riku had to think about this for a second. "She took it pretty badly, but being the new Keyblade master took her mind off of things I guess."

"Well, that's good then," Mickey replied. "Just keep an eye on her; you know how girls are."

"Yeah, I've known Kairi long enough to know when she's hiding something."

Mickey shook his head, his huge ears flopping slightly. "Never underestimate what they can do when they want to. She could be keeping this pent up for months if you're not careful."

"True."

"But enough about Kairi. You should get to your room. There's no battle for you to command, and I'd think the Guardians would want you to rest your arm."

Riku sighed as he looked upon his still-sore limb. "Alright, Your Majesty. Call me if I'm needed." With that he saluted and headed back up to his room. He passed Kairi's door on the way, saw no light and heard no sound. _Good—she needs to sleep after the whole Ice Titan thing_. He passed the room and entered room 317 for the first time. To his pleasure he found nothing resembling Kairi's room. It was fairly simple; the walls were off-white, the bed looked comfortable but covered only in simple dark red sheets. Another mahogany bookcase occupied the south wall, but the books present were much more to Riku's liking: books of the history of the Keyblade, books of old languages like Aexyrthan, a slew of volumes on Nobodies and Heartless…yes, Riku was quite content with this place. He changed into one of the castle's provided dark blue robes (unfortunately his wardrobe had not been provided like Kairi's) and attempted to sleep, but sleep came slowly—very slowly.

_What's Ruxik plotting? Certainly he's not idle now—he's my Nobody, and I know I would be taking advantage if he had called a cease-fire. We still don't even know why he called this war. Maybe Maleficent did—she wants this place…but certainly Ruxik has other motives. _

_What is his plan? I don't believe that he'd wage war just for this castle…I fought him. He's absurdly powerful—Xemnas doesn't even compare. And what about Kairi? Why did Sora have to die and leave her to fight him on her own? He picked such a bad time to go…well, it wouldn't be so bad if I could help her out. But my arm…_

_Come to think of it, why aren't there four Keybladers? Kairi already was one of them…is this Ruxik's plan? Does he have a Keyblade? But he doesn't have a heart…the Keyblade needs a strong heart…besides I really don't want to think about that…_

_Curse my arm! If I was healthy, this would be so much easier…maybe the cease-fire will last through tomorrow. That's when they said I could fight again, right?_

Such ominous thoughts plagued his mind until finally sleep took a loose hold of his mind.

* * *

In the next room across Kairi was faring equally poorly. Her mind was suddenly filled with Sora once again. The photo album had stirred up old memories she had tried to dismiss when he died. His words echoed through her head, and try as she might she could not get rid of them. "I love you" and "I'll never leave you" echoed off her skull.

_Why'd you have to leave, Sora? I loved you so much, and I still do…_

Another voice suddenly entered her mind. _Think of what I have to deal with._

_Naminé!_

_You forgot I was here, didn't you?_

"Look, I'm…hey, can you come out of me? I keep feeling like I'm talking to myself when I talk to you."

_Yeah, one second,_ Naminé replied. A cold feeling came over Kairi, and she convulsed for a bit as her Nobody left her. One last shudder caused Naminé to float over her like a benevolent ghost (her trademark white dress contributed to that image). In a few seconds she assumed a tangible form, using a special power unique to Nobodies like her. Normally she inhabited Kairi's body and shared her mind, but when Kairi needed someone to whom to talk, she normally turned to her Nobody (Selphie was a bit too much of a drama queen for her liking). Aside from the connections between Nobody and vessel Naminé was surprisingly different from Kairi: she tended to be a bit more sarcastic but usually more logical and cool-headed--except when it came to Roxas. The two Nobodies loved each other as deeply as their vessels.

"Alright. So—let's get to the point," Naminé said in a fairly businesslike tone. "You're pining over him which makes sense. But to be honest you've got to get over this. There's really not a lot you can do."

"I know," Kairi said tiredly. "That's what makes it so frustrating. To have him slip away, and I'll never have him back…"

"Don't you think I have the same issue? Roxas was in Sora when he was killed—otherwise his body would have appeared too."

"But…well…you're a Nobody!"

"Remember what the Guardians said? There are Nobodies with hearts, and I'm one of them. I was a wreck when I knew Roxas had died…you were just too distracted to notice."

"Way to make me sound like a jerk, Naminé," Kairi replied playfully although mentally she was ashamed for failing to console her Nobody. "But—and this may sound crude—they also said you were trained by the Organization to be pretty emotionless."

"True. I did take advantage of those techniques. I was in Twilight Town for a brief period in a sort of foster home. I grew fairly attached my foster parents until the Organization abducted me. They didn't like leaving witnesses." Here Naminé paused and let out a sigh. "They knew I'd be a bit traumatized, so they coerced me into listening to them long enough to learn how to suppress my heart. The method I used is similar to the one you're using—I fought to honor them. Of course the Organization didn't know I was actually fighting against them instead of Sora as I was supposed to do--"

"Can you elaborate on that?" Kairi interrupted. "That's what I've been trying to do, but I don't know how well it's working. Fighting in his honor, I mean."

"Well, just think of all the good times you had with Sora and how Ruxik took that away. That should spur you on nicely. I mean, I'm pretty furious at him for taking Roxas. You should be even angrier—he was actually _trying_ to take Sora. Roxas was an accident. But anyway it doesn't work overnight. Give it time, and soon you won't be so caught up in his death."

"Cool. Hope that works," Kairi answered. At this point any idea of how to stop her grief would satisfy her. She still missed Sora obviously, but she was tired of letting her sorrow run her life, and she knew that she had to make sure Ruxik and Maleficent didn't claim Disney Castle. Besides she was quite tired. "Thanks, Nam."

"No problem, Kai," Naminé responded. "Good night."

"Good night." Kairi lay relaxed for a second as her Nobody became ghostlike before calmly falling onto her. Kairi trembled a bit (she could simply not get used to the cold, airy sensation of having a Nobody's spirit enter and exit her body) as Naminé took up her old space in her subconscious.

Now feeling a bit more at ease, Kairi reclined on her bed and pulled a silk sheet up as she collapsed in the incredibly comfortable pillow. It wasn't long before her mind was fully quieted and thoughts of Sora were quenched by the hope that Naminé's idea would work (and her ideas normally did).

* * *

Maleficent muttered a spell, and the image in the crystal ball was consumed by the green and black flame. "I assume you won't watch her sleep?"

Ruxik snorted. "I'm no creeper. Besides I've seen all that I need to see."

"When will you attack again?"

"When I see fit. We've got time. I made sure Riku's arm won't heal too well."

"He did have the Guardians caring for him…"

"That's not important. This battle will be won, and another domino will fall."

"Your overconfidence—"

"Say nothing of my overconfidence! Is it overconfidence to say you've won the game when you hold four aces? Trust me, I hold all four aces."

"You've yet to back this up. I don't see the need to hide your true strength—if you have any."

"Oh, believe me, I do. You won't want to see my full power. I don't care how old or powerful you are; I can show you terrors you couldn't imagine."

"Seeing is believing."

"And I can see you cowering in fear when I show you my full power. I believe that."

Maleficent decided not to retort partially because she was tired of the argument and partially because of the skill of Ruxik's comeback. _He must have been practicing. But clearly he's a poor card player._

_Four aces is not the perfect hand when someone else might have a royal flush._

_A/N: Reviews please!_


	17. And a Time for Action

_A/N: Thanks to my loyal reviewers, singintoyourself and japaneserockergirl! _

_The subtitle has changed from 'The Darkest War' to 'Omega Dawn'. Feedback is appreciated as always._

_I'm finally bringing back song quotes! This one is "Not Ready to Die" by Demon Hunter._

_I own my OCs and my original Keyblade, nothing else. Both can be borrowed if you ask nicely! Without further ado chapter 17!_

**XVII. …And a Time for Action**

_We'll take our voices with our hands  
__We'll make like knives, we'll make demands…  
__I saw my future today; it said I'm going away.  
__But I still haven't sung the last line.  
__On my way down  
__I'm not ready to lay, not ready to fade.  
__I'm not ready to die!_

The sound of a bugle blaring reveille awoke Riku from slumber. He wasn't much of a late sleeper, but he also was not accustomed to waking with the sunrise. He took a quick shower, put on the battle-ready tight garments in his wardrobes (they resembled the royal knights' except for his silver color) and found King Mickey and Kairi similarly clad and waiting a few paces down the hall.

"Took you long enough," Kairi joked.

Riku put his palms up in mock outrage. "What do you expect? That bugler woke me up at the crack of dawn!"

The King chuckled. "What do you expect? You're in the army now. Come on, I'll take you two to the mess hall." He strode down two flights of stairs with Riku and Kairi close behind. Soon they came to a door painted dark green (the paint was chipping noticeably) with two tarnished brass doorknobs—one at a normal height and one that was approximately level with the middle of Riku's thigh. The King opened the door with this second knob, and a blast of sound assaulted Riku's ears—the sound of soldiers conversing about whatever came to mind. This sound faded significantly as soon as the soldiers realized that their king and two other Keybladers had just entered.

"As you were," the King said coolly. In a few seconds the soldiers were back to conversing. The Keybladers strode over to a counter where food was being distributed out of trays. Naturally the cuisine was far from excellent--Kairi questioned whether her meat had been cooked at all while Riku wondered how years had passed since his meat was put in the oven. They ate the food anyway and tried to distract themselves. King Mickey broke the silence that soon came.

"Alright Riku, you're the tactician. We might have to make the next move. What's your proposal?"

Riku shook his head. "I can't say without knowing how many soldiers they have--"

"Infinite. They're Heartless--" the King butted in.

"—and how this area is laid out. I need a map."

"—controlled by Maleficent. Soldiers are not an object here."

Riku pondered this for a bit and took another bite of his rubbery meat. "That flying spell you cast on me, Your Majesty…will it still work?"

The King shook his head. "I'll cast it again though." Without another word he drew his Keyblade and pointed it at Riku, muttering the spell. A rush of wind again surrounded Riku, sending his plate flying (Kairi snatched it before it hit the ground) and causing him to levitate few feet off the ground. As the wind subsided, Riku returned to ground level to finish the last bite of food, wash it down with water and salute the King.

"Give me a minute—I'll scope out the place," he called. He flew towards an open window but stopped in midair to yell, "THEY'RE HERE!"

With those words glass flew everywhere. Admirals and Berserkers spread through the room, wreaking havoc with claw and hammer.

The King was livid. "The nerve! Royal Army, take them down!" The soldiers drew their weapons and started a makeshift offensive.

Riku was in a panic. He would have joined the attack, but his sore arm prevented him from drawing his blade. He had to find some shelter, but the huge foes made sure no place was safe.

_Well, can I at least draw it to do some magic?_ He wondered. Deciding to try it, he drew Way to the Dawn and yelled out one word. "Reflega!"

An opaque sphere emanated from his body, blocking an incoming Admiral claw. As the beast howled in pain, Riku smiled slightly. The pain in his arm was still present but definitely reduced, and he could cast magic without much trouble, so he could stay safe long enough to command the troops. He hovered between two rafters and yelled towards the back ranks. "Archers! Wizards! Cover the Keyblades!" With a nod from what looked like a captain the bowmen and spell casters focused their firepower towards the Berserkers giving Kairi and the King trouble. Now Riku flew down a bit to address the infantry. "Knights! Drive 'em out! Charge!" A flurry of battle cries sounded as the soldiers charged the Admirals, catching them off guard. The room lit up with the radiant pink glow of hearts flying to their kingdom.

The Berserkers proved to be a bit more of a challenge. Riku turned his gaze from his successful charge to see his companions locked in battle. Six Berserkers had formed a circle around the Keybladers, and their furiously swinging hammers seemed to spell death for the heroes in the midst. Spells and arrows hit the giant Nobodies, but they seemed impervious to the arrows, and the magic wasn't helping much either.

Kairi happened to look up, and she caught Riku's eye. "Riku! I'm going to Drive!"

Riku nodded and thrust out his Keyblade, ignoring the pain in his arm. He had never helped someone else Drive; he only hoped that when he froze in position, he wouldn't feel pain.

The standard spear-shaped beam of light shot Way to the Dawn's blade and hit Kairi in the heart with a sound like breaking glass. Only then did Riku ponder, _Wait…can she handle this? She's never Driven before…_

Kairi had similar qualms, but as soon as the beam hit her heart, she felt no fear. Her tight silver shirt and pants became dark red and more flowing. She looked to her left hand to see her new Keyblade. It too was dark red, but a swirling white design ran down the shaft to the blade which was shaped like a crown and studded with four garnets in a diamond pattern. The keychain attached to the hilt (consisting of two red adjacent arcs on each side) was also shaped like a crown and bore the blade's name: Royal Mandate. The mere touch of the blade seemed to charge Kairi's veins with magic power, and she decided to test it.

"Thundaga!" she roared, thrusting both blades skyward. Immediately a dozen huge lightning bolts struck the Berserkers and nearly blinded her. When she opened her eyes, she saw the lightning wasn't the only part of the spell; a mighty thunderclap sent the Nobodies to their knees. Surprisingly she and King Mickey were unaffected, so they took advantage of this to stab four of the Berserkers. The King finished off a fifth with a Pearl spell, but two Admirals came to take its place—they had survived the knight's charge. Here Kairi casted an Aeroga spell and not only felt the familiar gust of wind around her but saw a gale-force wind knock the Admirals on their backs and saw herself levitate above the ground. By this point she was greatly enjoying this new power.

"Time to finish you off!" she shouted. Again she thrust her Keyblades skyward as if to cast Thundaga…but instead she threw the blades downward with incredible force. The blades penetrated the Heartless' chests, and as they vanished in a wisp of black smoke, Kairi saw her blades had penetrated the floor. She lowered herself back to the ground, forced out the blades, and revoked the drive—no Admirals or Berserkers remained.

The rest of the army looked around, making sure no enemies remained and anticipating the familiar black orb that appeared with a Heartless or Nobody. None came, and a raucous cheer went up from the army. The King broke it with a piercing whistle.

"Alright, men! We've gotta make sure that doesn't happen again. Head back to your battle stations from before the cease-fire. Any sign of Heartless or Nobodies, take 'em out!" The soldiers let out another cheer and quickly filtered out of the room, revealing the results of what had taken place. Admiral claws and Berserker hammers had left plenty of marks and scratches, but little structural damage. One wall had a gaping hole in it, but it was nothing beyond repair. Riku was impressed by how efficient the defense had been. Seeing no reason to hang around, he flew out of the cafeteria and headed to the top of the castle, hoping for a better tactical view.

"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave," Kairi said to the King. She saluted awkwardly (she wasn't used to the gesture yet) and headed out the door, heading back

* * *

"I've seen enough!" Ruxik shouted, pounding the glass ball in anger. Black and green flames shook across the globe, and the image grew blurry. He stormed around The Altar of Naught, infuriated.

"You know, all you had to do was ask," Maleficent said, clearly enjoying Ruxik's rage.

"I don't need your sarcasm," Ruxik replied with rage sharpening his words. Most people would have been intimidated, but Maleficent couldn't suppress a smirk.

"You're such a child. You think you can manage absolute power?"

"Do you want a share of it or not?" At this point Ruxik had his back turned to the witch.

"You're in no position to bargain. Your plan has been failing miserably."

"I'm telling you, these aren't even setbacks! I have backup after backup after…"

"And every one of them has failed! You seem to avoid directly pursuing your objective—"

Here Ruxik faced his accomplice. "Don't you _ever_ tell me what to do!"

Maleficent was slightly intimidated by the fury in his voice, but she refused to show it. "Again you act like a child."

"Well, I think I'd be in a better mood if you had a little faith in my plan!"

"Faith? I don't put my faith in lost causes, boy."

"This is far from a lost cause! I told you, I hold all four aces!"

"Stop it with the card game references! They don't convince me!"

"Stop telling me how to run my plan!"

"Give me proof that you know how to run it!"

"Didn't this happen before? If I showed you my proof, you would be scared senseless! You think you're the queen of darkness, don't you? I could pull off your greatest tricks in my sleep!"

Maleficent was finally fed up with the barrage of arguments. "Words mean nothing! I want to see proof!"

Ruxik's expression went from rage to joy as if a switch had been thrown. "Do you really? I'm telling you, you'll regret every word you've said if I show you my full power."

"Just show me already!"

"Now you sound like a child."

Maleficent went silent, realizing Ruxik was right.

"Just one more question, Maleficent. Does the word Omegasis mean anything to you?"

The witch pondered this briefly. Suddenly she became shocked but reverted to her scowl just as quickly. "Yes, and…?"

Ruxik smirked. "What if I told you I could summon it, control it, and unleash it on the Keybladers?"

Maleficent burst out laughing. "That's utterly ridiculous! I didn't know you where the suicidal type."

Her laughter ceased as Ruxik gave her a flat stare before speaking. "I'd stand back if I were you."

"You're going to summon it?! You're an idiot." She went to a corner of the hall and cast several powerful defensive spells. Ruxik stood in the center of the room and thrust his arms outward as he began to mutter an incantation in Aexyrthan.

"_**Zyrian…**_" A powerful wind kicked up at Ruxik's feet. "_**Naghyshaex…**_" A black portal that nearly touched the sixty-foot ceiling appeared. "_**Brynian rhihilis fhargronax!"**_

Maleficent wondered what this was. _The summon spell ends at 'brynian'…are 'rhihilis' and 'fhargronax' defensive spells?_ Suddenly such thoughts were erased from her mind.

Ruxik had actually summoned Omegasis. He was truly colossal, standing about fifty-five feet high, covered in shining black fur. His shape was vaguely human, but he had six arms, all covered in sharp purple spines longer than a man's height. His massive torso bore a Heartless emblem, and flowing red and dark blue linear designs flowed down to his feet (Maleficent knew they were used for magical attacks). Despite all of this it was his face that struck the most fear in the old witch; except for the Mohawk-esque hair it was somewhat canine thanks to the protruding snout, razor-sharp teeth and pointed ears, but the eyes…what should have been the whites were red, and the irises were as black as the pupils they encompassed. Simply looking at those eyes made Maleficent quake with fear. She knew that that beast would tear her apart in moments, all thanks to Ruxik's folly. She waited for the spines to tear into her flesh…and waited…and waited…were her defensive spells really strong enough to repel the legendary Omegasis? She pondered this until Ruxik's triumphant laugh brought her back to reality.

"And you thought I couldn't control it, didn't you?" he shouted. "Apparently nobody else knows enough Heartless-speak to control this guy. Those last two words make sure he obeys my every word, and even if he doesn't, I know how to punish him. But I'll be fair; he'll only get zapped if he crosses the line."

"That's it? Two words of Heartless-tongue and this creature's as tame as a pup? I can't believe this! It can't be that simple to control…"

"The most powerful known Heartless? Yeah, hard to believe, I know. But maybe you need more proof." Ruxik jovially snapped his fingers and summoned a dozen Shadows. Omegasis seemed to smirk cruelly as the weaker Heartless were drawn to him; he gained power from the darkness or hearts of others.

"Omegasis, stop!" Ruxik shouted. "Let them be! Don't worry, you'll get your fill of strength soon enough." Omegasis growled disappointedly, but the Shadows stopped gravitating towards the massive Heartless.

"Now, Omegasis, you see all of those Shadows in a line? I want you to kill every other one. Leave the rest unharmed." With another growl Omegasis raised his top left arm and released six spines, immediately annihilating the defenseless Shadows. Ruxik meanwhile turned to his accomplice.

"And you doubted my control of him? Would he stop at six dead Shadows if he wasn't under my control? This is why I told you not to doubt me, Maleficent. Now I'll finally have that girl in my grasp, and ultimate power shall be mine!"

Maleficent nodded. "I have to say, I am impressed."

"I thought you'd like it," Ruxik replied. He turned to Omegasis and conjured a portal. "Omegasis, this will take you outside Disney Castle. You will find a girl there in silver; she is the Princess of Heart and a Keyblade bearer. Wound her, terrify her, but _do not kill her! _Understand?" His minion nodded. "Good! Now go! And feel free to kill any of the others!" With that Omegasis walked through the portal, and both disappeared.

Ruxik now faced Maleficent. "Now for some personal business…" An evil smirk lit up his face.

* * *

Ironically light seemed to vanish from Disney Castle at about this time; the black power of this ultimate Heartless seemed overpower all light. Omegasis tore through the forest through the castle, looking through his black and red eyes to find the Princess of Heart. This wouldn't be too hard; he detected foes by the strength of their hearts. Only a few minutes passed before he saw the girl and two knights by the armory. Ruxik had never said anything about the knights, so Omegasis felt no remorse as he fired two spines that immediately pierced the knight's torsos and pinned them to the ground.

In the sudden darkness Kairi understood little of this; she simply saw Piney and Acorn get pinned to the ground by radiant purple spines. Acorn looked dead on contact (the spine went straight through his heart), but Piney seemed miraculously still breathing. Kairi ran to him, trying to make him comfortable. Her hatred of the arrogant knight was lost in her compassion and inner disturbance from witnessing what looked like an imminent death.

"What…was that?" the knight croaked.

"I don't know! It just came out of nowhere! And it's so dark, but it's not even noon yet!"

"Calm down…Princess," croaked Piney, his voice fading. "You'll handle it…you did…great…last time. Forgive me…for doubting you." He let out a terrible cough, and blood spewed from his mouth.

"You're forgiven," said Kairi through her tears. "But how can I handle this?"

"You're…a Princess of Heart…and…you destroyed…that Ice Titan…yeah, you're fine…" said the dying soldier with a slight smile on his face. A tear spilled onto his face from Kairi's, but he didn't respond, and his eyes seemed glazed over. Kairi gave the fighter one final embrace before gathering her wits and standing up to stare at the colossal beast that stood before her.

Somehow it seemed like a floodlight was shining upon the immediate area around her; she looked at herself and saw that she was emanating light like she had when she first came near the Cornerstone of Light. She looked to her palms and again saw the four mysterious white markings: a flame, gavel, cross and dress. This time however instead of the dress the flame was the brightest.

_Does this mean I'm supposed to be angry? Well, it's working._

_I don't care how Piney treated me…no one gets away with killing in cold blood like that. Nobody…_

She looked upwards again. This time she saw Omegasis and nearly crumpled in terror.

_Except maybe this thing._

_I can't wimp out. Sora wouldn't have wimped out._

_Sora would have destroyed this freak. I've got no problem with that._ With a furious shout she charged Omegasis head on.

Meanwhile the Heartless continued to smirk as he had done since he saw the knights fall. _This should be easy. _He raised in his arm and let another spine fly.

* * *

Riku meanwhile saw all of this from his vantage point on the castle walls. He had been on edge since the darkness fell, but when Kairi's mysterious light illuminated the area around the armory, he saw the massive Heartless. He remembered a legend Yen Sid had told him some time ago about an ultimate Heartless that had nearly destroyed an entire world single-handedly. Not even that world's Keyblade bearer could destroy it, so they had to resort to ancient magic to seal it in the Realm of Darkness. Apparently it had gotten loose.

_Probably some trick of Ruxik's…I knew he was powerful, but this is unbelievable!_

_Wait._

_Kairi's fighting this thing on her own?! No way! She's dead meat!_

_Well, I'm supposed to let her go…she is the Princess of Heart after all…and besides I'm pretty much useless when I can't even use the Keyblade…_

"Riku!" A desperate cry sounded from the armory. Riku automatically knew who it was.

"Riku! Help--" This cry was cut off as a _whoosh_ sound cut through the air; apparently Omegasis was trying to crush Kairi with one of his six massive arms.

_That's it. Screw the arm. I'm not going to sit back and watch my best friend die! If I let her die and the worlds fall into darkness…no. Not going to happen. _

_See this, Ruxik? I'll show that I did nothing out of selfishness. No. I fight for my friends and for light. And the light always triumphs._

"Kairi, I'm coming!" A battle cry of a Keyblader of old came into his head as he cast an Aero and jumped off the battlement towards Omegasis. "FOR THE DAWN!!"

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are always appreciated!_


	18. Rebellion and Authority

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, japaneserockergirl and oathkeeper (x3!) for the glowing reviews!_

_A double song quote! This one is a mix of "The Vulture" and "The Sky" from Showbread's new album, __Anorexia__._

_I own my OCs and nothing else…on with the story!_

**XVIII. Rebellion and Authority**

_But I am not a robot, and I am not a slave_

_I will not lick the feet of it that begs me to behave..._

_I am; I am! I am; I am!_

Riku landed on the ground near the armory and ducked, barely avoiding another one of Omegasis's spines. A few moments later he saw Kairi flying backwards, and he quickly cast an Aero before she hit the wall.

"Oh, thanks," she said breathlessly. "What _is_ this thing?"

"Does it matter? We've got to get rid of it…we need the King here."

"I'll send up a flare," Kairi responded. She quickly casted a Thundaga spell and followed it with a Stopga so the lightning bolt froze in place. Fortunately this lightning overpowered the mysterious darkness that followed Omegasis. However Kairi didn't count on what the beast did next; he grabbed the bolt and threw it javelin-style at the Keybladers. Both cast Reflegas to dodge the barrage of electricity that followed.

Kairi was rather livid at this point. "He just ripped a lightning bolt out of time!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Yen Sid told me about this one. Omegasis is his name I believe."

"Does that matter?" Kairi replied, slicing another one of Omegasis's spines in half.

"No, not really," Riku said. "Let's just stall until the King shows up."

"Easier said than done…look at this thing!"

"Must you always be so negative?" Riku said despondently. "Let's just kill it!" With that he charged the beast head-on. Omegasis thrust down a fist the size of a horse towards the ground, but Riku artfully jumped to his right and back to his left, landing on top of the giant hand. He rapidly ran upwards, dodging the thick forest of spikes. Kairi caught on and tried to distract the beast with a flurry of Thundagas, but they didn't seem to give Omegasis any pain. A better idea struck her, and she began to hack at the titan's massive feet. In his annoyance he tried to crush Kairi underfoot, but she jumped to the side, and with the assistance of an Aeroga she bounced off thick left leg and slashed violently. This time Oathkeeper's blade penetrated the black hide, and as she fell, thick viscous black blood poured on her. What made this more disturbing was that the blood was as cold as death.

Kairi shivered and shook off the thick slimy blood as Omegasis let out an angry growl. He raised his left arms and shot a flurry of spines at Kairi, ignoring the other Keyblader running up his bottom right arm. Riku was now through the maze of spikes and was approaching the colossus's shoulder. Finally he reached the neck and plunged the entire blade into the Heartless's flesh, stopping when he saw the hilt touch skin. He then ripped the blade out with equal force, and relished the howl of pain he received. Dodging another incoming hand, Riku jumped to the ground with an Aero and stood back to see the fruits of his labor after high-fiving Kairi.

Unfortunately Omegasis was not about to comply. He stood growling in pain for a few seconds, holding his neck with his right arms and his left leg with his lefts. Suddenly he relaxed his arms and smirked as a strange aura began to emanate from him—or rather towards him. Riku and Kairi stood with mouths wide open as somehow the spilled blood gathered around the colossal beast, focusing on his wounds. In a few seconds the black slime covered and healed the wounds. Omegasis let out a growl of content as he conjured a black ball of energy and fired it at the Keybladers. Kairi deflected it with a swipe of Oathkeeper, but Omegasis caught it and tossed it back. This time it hit Riku and sent him flying so fast that Kairi couldn't use an Aero or Reflect cushion his impact with the castle wall.

"Riku!" Kairi cried urgently. Riku stood weakly before Kairi cast a Curaga and he was able to stand properly.

"Thanks." He looked at the massive beast that stood arrogantly as if waiting for another strike. "I'm gonna Drive…see if that will leave a dent in this thing."

"We can't just leave dents; it just heals them! We have to finish it off completely!"

"You remember what happened when I Drove last—it should have a bit more of an effect than just one Keyblade on this thing."

With a sigh Kairi thrust her Keyblade towards Riku, and the spear-shaped beam of light hit Riku with the familiar sound of shattering glass. Light's Return appeared in his right hand again, and he smiled with the regained feeling of incredible power. He took to the skies, looking Omegasis in the eye. The beast seemed a little puzzled but certainly not intimidated. To him all that changed was the boy had two swords and golden clothes—nothing that could stop him. This changed when Riku charged up a ball of golden light from Light's Return and sent it flying right and Omegasis's face. Omegasis howled and grabbed his head with his two top arms, flailing blindly at Riku with the other four. Riku flew backwards to avoid this threat and began to use the same attack he had used on a squad of Nobodies in Twilight Town: he charged up two beams of light, one from each Keyblade, and brought them closer and closer together until the blades touched. He quickly cast a Reflega as a mighty explosion sent Omegasis flying backwards, and a blinding flash of light burned the beast's dark flesh.

The Heartless let out a howl far more powerful than any Riku had heard yet. IT was both deep and shrill, and it caused terrible pain to his ears. He decided to put the beast out of his misery and shot another sphere of light at the prostrate titan. However this only created a louder howl; Riku covered his ears, but the sound still seemed to penetrate into his bones. Yet instead of weakening him the pain only drove him on.

"This is where you die, Omegasis!" cried the furious Keyblader. He descended to the ground and pointed both Keyblades at his adversary. He summoned every last piece of energy in his body and prepared Dual Lightning, his own version of one of Sora's specialties, Sonic Blade. Finally he felt ready just as Omegasis seemed to move again.

"This…is…it!" Riku shouted, charging on the last word. With supernatural speed he sliced through Omegasis, nearly cleaving him in two before coming back in the opposite direction just as quickly. Thick black blood coated Riku's body as he charged back and forth before finishing with a charge of incredible force which fully separated both halves of the Heartless. Just then the Drive faded, and Riku returned to his normal form, his clothes changing from gold to the army's silver.

* * *

Ruxik was unaware of this; Maleficent's crystal ball had shown no images for some time. The witch was still trying to recover from the sight of Omegasis; death wasn't even the worst that could happen to her at that beast's hands. She tried to regain composure as Ruxik strode over to her with a demonic gleam in his eye.

"I think I've earned myself a little gloat," he said cockily.

Maleficent tried to hide her still-lingering fear. "I wouldn't brag until you've actually won."

Ruxik threw his head back and laughed evilly—and it was not his normal laugh. Something dark had taken over him, and it rekindled Maleficent's terror.

"Are you joking? Those two against Omegasis? They don't have a chance!"

"But Omegasis will kill the girl if you're not careful…"

"Oh, I've summoned him before. He knows what happens if he disobeys me."

"Punishing him won't matter if the girl's already dead."

"Then get your crystal ball working, witch!" Ruxik snarled, exasperated. _She's cowering in fear of me, and she's STILL questioning me!_ He watched as she fumbled with her staff, trying to calm herself enough to say the proper spell. A full minute went by, and the liquid flame seemed undisturbed. Furious, Ruxik dealt the old witch a furious backhand that knocked her to the ground.

"So this is the great and mighty Maleficent? How could you have tried to open the door to darkness when you can't even operate your own crystal ball?"

Maleficent was enraged at this attack on her pride and thus turned to her last remaining weapon--sarcasm. "At least that plan came close to fruition!"

"SILENCE!"

Ruxik's voice echoed throughout the room, sounding unnaturally deep. "I've had it with you questioning my plans! I tried to treat you like an accomplice, but you just keep on thinking you know my plan better than me! Well, I've had it! It's time you realize who is your master!"

"I…have…no…master!"

"Oh no?" Ruxik turned his back on Maleficent, shouted a spell she didn't recognize, and turned around. Instantly Maleficent let out a shriek and crumpled in horror.

Ruxik nodded. "I'm going to go distract the mouse; I think you understand me now. Let this be a lesson to you—never, NEVER question my authority!" With that he conjured and entered a portal, leaving Maleficent to relive this terrifying scene in her mind.

_That…was... a nightmare…_

* * *

Kairi ran over, having regained the ability to move as soon as the Drive ended, and saw the result of Riku's impressive efforts. "Nice job! Except…you look disgusting."

Riku looked over himself and realized how bloody he was. He pointed his Keyblade at himself and cast an Aero, but the blood didn't move. An Aerora failed as well, and even two simultaneous Aerogas from both Keybladers didn't even stir up a ripple in the viscous blood.

"That's a little creepy," Riku stated.

Kairi looked at Omegasis, and a horrible thought struck her. "Why didn't his heart float off yet?"

"He's probably got a really massive heart imprisoned in there," Riku replied. "Maybe it takes a--" He was cut off in midsentence as he saw Omegasis's legs prop themselves up. This was made even more shocking when the Heartless's torso used the six massive arms to leap into the air and land on the legs.

"Oh, you're not serious," Riku said, dumbfounded. "I just cut him in half!"

"Well, he must be a bit weaker, right?" Kairi chimed in. Her optimism turned to dismay as Omegasis thrust his arms out towards Riku, and the blood was somehow lifted off of Riku's body. In seconds the blood began to fill the gap between his upper and lower body, and suddenly the giant was alive and well.

"I knew that was too easy…" Kairi muttered.

Riku on the other hand was in full-on panic mode. "How are we supposed to stop him?! He's immortal, and if Ruxik brought him out of the Realm of Darkness, he'll do it again!"

"Just don't draw blood," Kairi responded. "The blood is how he heals himself. We have to kill him without wounding him."

"Easier said than done!"

"Our jobs aren't supposed to be easy—we're Keybladers!"

"Speaking of that…where's the King?"

"Umm…good question. Doesn't matter."

"He would certainly help, and he'd know a way to wipe this thing out."

Kairi sighed. "You have no faith in me, do you?" With that she charged Omegasis's flank—and was instantly grabbed by his bottom left hand.

"Kairi!" Riku cried. He charged, hacking at the arm the size of a tree trunk, but Omegasis swatted him away and cast a spell on him in midair. Riku was entirely paralyzed.

With that annoyance out of the way Omegasis looked to the girl who was struggling mightily but finding no success. The beast let out a growl that evolved into a shout, and Kairi was suddenly barraged by a storm of memories. Scenes from her childhood blurred together with moments from the past week; pictures of Sora mixed with pictures of her family. A few scenes of her lover stuck in her mind—the prom, when he asked her out, their first kiss and other sweet things Kairi had never forgotten. Naturally this was all followed by Sora's death and funeral.

_Oh, he had to go and do that…not Sora…please…I am sick and tired of them reopening the wound!_

_No. That's it. I will not go quietly!_

Another memory appeared, one that she had not considered for some time--the incident with the Cornerstone of Light when she had first arrived at the castle. A few words from Pence stuck out most prominently.

_"Ah, I know what this is. If a Princess of Heart is that close to the Cornerstone, strange things might happen. Sometimes it's a raw outburst of light that could accidentally be pretty deadly in someone so young. You're lucky the Cornerstone's a bit dim now, Kairi. But if we can teach you to control your light…"_

A few more memories went by, and then she saw a scene from just a few minutes ago in the middle of the fight—Riku's light-based attacks. They did the most damage to the beast…they made him howl in pain while hacking with the Keyblade did nothing.

Kairi could have sworn a light bulb lit up above her head.

_Well, there's no time to learn to control it…but I don't have any better ideas. _She looked to find Riku to tell him of her idea, but she found him motionless. She couldn't lift her Keyblade to help him (Omegasis had taken care of that), but with an immense effort she managed to point it between two fingers. She cast a Curaga in Riku's general vicinity, and slowly Riku came to his feet.

"Riku! Get…the…Cornerstone…" Kairi was shocked to realize that she was being crushed by the Heartless's iron grip—she had focused on the storm of memories that was fading but still present.

"No! I'm not leaving! You'll be dead any second!"

"So will you… if you don't get… the Cornerstone! I know… how… to kill this thing!"

"He's crushing you!"

"Riku, get the Cornerstone NOW!" Kairi yelled. She was shocked to hear her voice take on an oddly regal tone, and the markings on her palms once again lit up. She was also shocked to see the ground come closer and closer—Omegasis had let go as soon as the light radiating from her body had touched him. A well-timed Aeroga let her land safely.

Riku opened his mouth to reply but saw that it was useless. _She did fine on her own once—I just hope that wasn't a fluke_. He ran full-tilt through the nearest doorway, sprinting towards the Hall of the Cornerstone. He was about halfway there before he heard a cry for help—and it wasn't Kairi.

"Riku! The courtyard! Rux--"

Riku sighed. _This is NOT the time._ He continued running towards the Hall, but a cry of pain and a deep, evil laugh convinced him to change his course.

"On my way, Your Majesty!" Ignoring the returning pain in his arm (he had forgotten about it in the heat of battle), he charged towards the courtyard, ready for war.

* * *

_A/N: Reviews make my day!_


	19. Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

_A/N: Thanks to snappydog (x2!) and singintoyourself for reviewing, and special thanks to snappydog for the story alert, favorite story and favorite author adds! Also special thanks to all the others who added me to their alerts/favorites list previously…a look at my 'stats' page showed me that I'd missed a few names. My apologies to you all! _

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts (the game or the place). Without further ado…_

**XIX. Defeat from the Jaws of Victory**

Riku arrived at the courtyard, trying to rest from his full-on sprint through the castle. What he saw immediately convinced him that rest would not come soon. A tall, black-haired man in a thick black cloak was engaged in a furious battle against the King, and the King was losing. He was bleeding profusely from his ears and side, and his adversary's dual-bladed staff looked eager to spill more royal blood.

"Ruxik! Leave him alone! This fight is between you and me!" Riku shouted angrily. He charged towards his Nobody, fighting the pain in his arm and his fatigue from the battle with Omegasis. _And I've still got to get the Cornerstone…but the King's going to die if he's not careful. We can't lose two Keybladers._

"Ha!" Ruxik laughed evilly. "What chivalry! The boy will sacrifice himself to save his king! You've taught him well, mouse!" With this he unleashed a furious kick that sent Mickey flying. He hit a statue at full speed and crumpled to the ground.

"Your Majesty!" Riku cried. He immediately ran to his King and knelt over him, inspecting the wounds. The King was motionless but still breathing albeit poorly. He quickly cast a Curaga which seemed to help slightly; the King began to move a bit, and his breathing became less shallow.

"Your Majesty, leave here. Get help as fast as you can; maybe the Guardians can help you out."

"But…Ruxik…"

"I'll take care of him." An idea struck Riku. "Tell the Guardians to bring the Cornerstone to Kairi—she needs it. I don't know why, but…"

The King looked confused for a second but eventually nodded weakly. "Will do." With that he began to slowly limp back into the castle—and a bolt of dark energy followed him.

"No! Reflega!" Riku shouted, throwing himself in the way of the bolt. The spell had been cast just in time, sending the bolt flying into another statue which promptly shattered into fragments.

Riku looked furiously at his Nobody who was clearly disappointed that his spell had not connected. "What are you doing here?!"

"Taking matters into my own hands. When you want a job done right, it's best to do it yourself."

"Then why'd you send Omegasis to kill Kairi?"

"Oh, it's not in my best interests to kill her. It's you I'd rather see dead. I knew you'd come to her aid, being the noble knight-in-shining-armor type, but I must say I didn't expect you to leave her alone. Well, Omegasis knows his orders, and he knows not to disobey." Ruxik said all this in a light conversational tone that only made Riku angrier.

"What does the King have to do…wait—what do you mean? What are you trying to do to Kairi?"

"Ah, that would be telling," Ruxik said playfully. "If you live long enough to see my plan completed, then you'll know. Of course if I have my way, you won't live that long, so it's no surprise that you want to know now."

"Enough games!" Riku shouted, slashing with his Keyblade for emphasis. "Out with it, Ruxik!"

"Oh, but don't you like surprises?" Ruxik's voice was downright childish at this point.

"Tell me the truth!" Riku replied in a voice very close to a growl.

"Ha! I'm a Nobody. I'm evil. Truth doesn't apply to me, according to you."

"I'd change my mind if you had some shred of honesty in you every once in a while."

"Oh, all hail Saint Riku!" Ruxik retorted with a melodramatic bow. "Just keep pretending you're so perfect. Please. It'll make it so much more fun to remind you that you spent a year wandering through the realm of darkness and tried to kill your 'best friend'." He air-quoted the last two words.

"SHUT UP!"

"Don't you just love it when I talk about this? And you did all this because you were so infatuated with…"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Riku furiously slashed his Keyblade, but Ruxik jumped out of the way easily. "I don't have feelings for Kairi! How low would I have to be to try to steal her from Sora?"

"I don't know; you tell me. How low were you?"

Riku was on the verge of trying to rip Ruxik in half with his bare hands, but then he caught on. _He's just trying to stall…I need a diversion…_Looking around frantically, he saw one of the still-standing statues, and inspiration hit.

"Magnega!" he shouted. The statue flew to the glowing orb, and with a quick flourish of his Keyblade, the statue was redirected towards Ruxik. He jumped out of the way, giving Riku just the head start he needed. Using Lightning Strike (his un-Driven version of Sonic Blade), he was at the exit to the courtyard in a flash.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ruxik shouted. He conjured a magical barrier, blocking Riku's path. Riku didn't see it in time, ran into it at full speed and fell flat on his back. He turned to face Ruxik who was finally showing signs of anger.

"You said it yourself—this fight is between you and me. So no one else can interfere, and neither one of us can leave until it's over." He entered his combat stance; like Riku he held his weapon at his head, pointing it at his foe. "Come on; fight me. I'll show you what happens to those who interfere with my plans. Ask Maleficent; I'm sure she'll give a glowing review."

Riku was puzzled. "What's that supposed to--?"

"Never mind. No more talking—actions speak louder than words after all." He slipped back into his childish tone.

Riku sighed. "Fine. Have it your way." _I am REALLY not in the mood to fight him…I need a way out and fast._

Ruxik smirked. _This will be too easy…_

* * *

Omegasis launched another spine at Kairi, but she side-stepped it easily. He was starting to get angry; Kairi utterly refused to attack him. To the battle-driven Heartless this was inconceivable. Yet still the girl caused him pain; she was still glowing with an intense white light. So he continued a barrage of attacks, trying to finish her off, but the pain of the light prevented him from using any powerful techniques.

Kairi meanwhile was similarly confused. _I'm all alone. I'm not even trying to hurt him, and he's still in pain. Why isn't he even trying to kill me? Not that I'm complaining, but it doesn't make any sense!_

_And how long is Riku going to take to bring me the Cornerstone? _

_Well, in his defense it's quite heavy. _

_In my defense I could get killed here!_

Several spines flew towards Kairi, and she neatly cleaved them in half with a swing of Oathkeeper. She cast an anxious look towards the door Riku had used. Still no one walked through.

_Riku, hurry up! _

* * *

Exhausted from the effort, King Mickey collapsed at the doors of the Healing Room. Several nurses gasped and tried to take the King to a vacant bed.

"No…please…Hayner, Pence, Olette…must see them…very im--" The King's words were cut off by an Elixir being forced into his mouth. He drank slowly and felt more refreshed with every swallow. After downing the whole cup he began to speak more freely.

"Nurse, what's your name?" he asked of a young female duck.

"Lily, Your Majesty."

"Lily, can you take me to that curtained-off room? I need to speak with the guys and girl inside. Please."

The duck looked a little puzzled but couldn't refuse the King's request—he didn't seem to be in terrible shape. "Yes, Your Majesty." The King slowly got off the bed and took the duck's hand. She led him slowly to makeshift tent where the Guardians had been caring for worst wounds. Currently the tent was vacant.

"Your Majesty!" exclaimed Olette as she curtsied politely. The male Guardians followed with bows, but the King shook his head.

"Skip the formalities. Riku told me to tell you something. Apparently Kairi needs the Cornerstone, but I know I can't carry it. I don't know what for, or how, but--"

"Oh, don't worry. We know," said Pence with a smile on his face. "She's of age now. She's trying to deal the Heartless a final blow."

The King shook his head. "I don't know how she's going…oooooh." The plan dawned on the King. "Well, I want a front-row seat for this then!"

"No, you need to rest, Your Majesty," Olette replied in a motherly tone.

"Nonsense! Give me another Elixir and I'll be fine!"

"Fine. Drink this; we'll head to the Hall of the Cornerstone awhile," said Olette, handing the King another Elixir. The King immediately began to drink the healing liquid, and within seconds the bottle was empty. He easily caught up to the Guardians as they headed for the Hall.

About a minute passed before the Guardians walked in. The sphere was even dimmer than when the Keybladers had first arrived which made the King slightly nervous. However his fear was replaced by awe when he saw the Guardians lift the sphere into the air by magic.

"Argh…this thing…is…really…heavy!" gasped Hayner, straining under the power of the spell necessary to lift the heavy Cornerstone. Olette and Pence were struggling as well, so the King cast an Aeroga to lighten the burden a bit. The Guardians thanked the King as they strode towards the armory, magically carrying the sphere with them. The King quickly opened the door with his Keyblade, and the Cornerstone barely fit through the gates.

"Kairi! Here…whoa!" Pence called, dodging an errant Omegasis spike.

Kairi turned around, still glowing. She beamed when she saw the Cornerstone. "Thanks, guys…and Olette!" she shouted. She ran to the sphere and was just about to touch it before she collapsed.

Omegasis had finally hit his mark—three purple spines were sticking out of Kairi's back.

"Kairi! NO!" shouted the King. The Guardians gasped in horror and ran over to the fallen Keyblader. Mickey ran right past her—he was livid with the Heartless, and he was about to make him pay.

Kairi meanwhile was watching the world around her slowly spin; colors blurred together, and the faces of the Guardians around her grew indistinct. She didn't know why she couldn't stand up; she didn't feel any pain. She couldn't see the spikes that had penetrated her spine—she could feel no pain, but she couldn't move.

The world began to spin faster and faster until everything was a confused mess of colors.

_Naminé? What's happening to me?_

_Omegasis got your spine._

_Am I…dying?_

_Looks that way._

_What's going to happen to you?_

_…That's a really good question. I guess I just head off to Oblivion._

_Oblivion?_

_Where all Nobodies go when we're done. _

_So you'll see Roxas._

_Yeah…hmm…I kinda like that idea. _

_Will I see Sora?_

_I would imagine._

_Finally…_If Kairi could have moved, she would have been smiling contentedly. Then a thought struck her. _But…Riku…I can't leave him here to die!_

_You don't really have a choice in the matter--you can't move._

_Still…it's not fair…_

_Life isn't fair._

_I'm dying! _

_Death isn't fair. Whatever. Doesn't matter to me. I can't experience either one._

_Oh, Naminé, gotta love your sense of humor…_Kairi suddenly felt a strange sensation. Colors were still blurring together, but there were bits of black in the swirling vortex. In a few seconds her entire view was black. And why did she feel like she was rising off the ground?

_Am I dead?_ She tried to make out her surroundings, but she still only saw black. _Well, I guess I'm floating off to heaven…I hope that's where I'm headed anyway. At least Sora's there. That'll be cool. Well, bye, Naminé!_

* * *

Omegasis smiled evilly. That girl had caused him a lot of trouble, and he had almost failed his mission, but he had finally succeeded. She was just as Ruxik wanted her. He racked his primitive brain to remember what he had said about all the other inhabitants of this castle.

_"Good! Now go! And feel free to kill any of the others!" _

A demonic gleam lit up Omegasis's evil eyes. It was time to do what he did best—kill and destroy. He dropped the girl to the ground and began to search for someone to kill.

His search didn't take long—there was some short creature assaulting him violently. Omegasis began to drool a bit—he was starting to get quite hungry, and he hadn't tasted mouse in quite some time.

* * *

_A/N: I know it's a massive cliffhanger. DON'T KILL ME PLEASE! You can complain all you want in a review (winkwinknudgenudge)!_


	20. Coronation

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, japaneserockergirl and oathkeeper for reviewing! Also, thanks to singintoyourself for reviewing my two-shot 'Final Night' and Craxuan for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting said two-shot and adding me to the favorite author/author alert lists! On a side note please feel free to check out that two-shot! It's completely unrelated to this story (it's not even remotely the same genre), but maybe you'll like it anyway!_

_I'm terribly sorry this story hasn't been updated much!! Vacations, band camp, laziness, other stories, AP US History homework…bad combination! Especially with the cliffhanger…please don't kill me! _

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Without any further delay…_

**XX. Coronation**

Kairi awoke to see herself in a brightly lit room. The walls were beautifully painted with all sorts of colors blurred into a design with no pattern but yet some sense of familiarity. The room was tiered with dark wooden benches on each tier. As she gained her bearings, she looked to see the source of light—the ceilings and walls were bare. Suddenly she realized that the benches were occupied by ethereal women of unimaginable beauty. All were clad in gorgeously ornate dresses of the purest white and gold, and light radiated from their skin so brightly that Kairi couldn't stare at any one figure for very long. She looked down and was shocked to see herself in a similarly beautiful dress: white and strapless with a wide, ruffled train at her thighs and flowery gold patterns running down her sides. As she saw her skin, she realized that she too was giving off light.

She stood and gazed silently in awe. The women remained silent as well until finally one particularly stunning figure stood. She had long, wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes and angular features that gave her an air of regality. Her dress, entirely white, had an even wider train than Kairi's, and its large shoulders assisted in the royal image. She opened her mouth, and a very queenly voice resounded around the room.

"Kairi, Princess of Heart of the Destiny Islands! You have arrived at last."

Kairi raised her eyebrow, confused. "Wait…am I dead? Is this heaven? Are you…angels?"

The woman laughed a warm, welcoming laugh, and several other women joined her. "You're not the first Princess to ask those questions. Let me start with your last question. We are not angels although you are not far off the mark. We are Princesses of Heart that have gone on long before you. We serve to counsel the younger Princesses and to ensure that their tasks are carried out—but where are my manners? My name is Jysilia, the eldest Princess of Heart."

Here Kairi curtsied respectfully, trying to hold off the millions of questions she wanted to ask. Jysilia continued. "Your second question—no, this is not heaven. Not quite. On a similar note, no, you are not dead—not quite. By all the laws of nature you should be. That monster you fought was quite violent. But you are a Princess of Heart, and you happen to be very crucial in the battle against darkness. Normally we Princesses do not interfere with matters of the physical world, but we can make an exception for one like yourself."

Kairi was shocked. "Why me? Why am I so special? I'm only not even eighteen yet!"

"Ah, but by the calendar used at Disney Castle you are eighteen—your world has a very different year than the rest of the worlds. And you are quite special—you are the first Princess of Heart to wield a Keyblade. That is why we saved your life—the task you were made to accomplish is of the utmost importance."

"I didn't know about any task…" Kairi realized that she was speaking quite casually to such a regal figure. "…Your Majesty."

Again Jysilia laughed her gentle laugh. "You need not bother with titles—everyone in this room is a Princess, including you. In fact I should be the one speaking formally to you—you have more power than any of us in this room. I and the rest of us here are honored to have the task of awakening such power."

Puzzled, Kairi replied, "What power? What are you talking about?"

"Every Princess of Heart is gifted with special abilities—some similar, some different. For example all of us can spread light under certain conditions—usually when one of the Facets of the Heart is strong in you."

"What?"

"Oh my, you've never learned of the Facets? Well, no time like the present. Arthe, could you show her the diagram?" With a nod a second Princess, clad in a dress that could have passed for a bride's, stood and walked to the back of the room, returning with two pictures on what looked like papyrus.

"Kairi, you know the emblem of the foul creatures, the Heartless, is divided in four, correct?" said Jysilia.

"Right."

"That emblem is a mockery of the logo of the Princesses of Heart. Our symbol is also a heart divided in four." Kairi looked at the papyrus in Arthe's hands. The familiar Heartless logo was on the left with an unfamiliar logo adjacent. It was heart-shaped, but instead of an X in the heart, a cross shape divided the heart into four quarters. Within each quarter was a symbol: the top left quarter held a cross; the top right, a flame; the bottom left, a gavel; and the bottom right, a white dress. It didn't take long for Kairi to realize that her palms bore the same symbol.

"Each of those symbols represents a Facet of the pure heart. The cross represents Compassion, the flame represents Wrath, the gavel represents Justice, and the dress represents Purity. As a Princess of Heart you have shown to be exceptionally strong in all four facets. When you feel particularly compassionate, wrathful, just or pure, the marks on your palms may emit light. Do you understand?" Kairi nodded. "Excellent. To return to my previous point--all of us have some similar gifts. But most of those gifts do not appear until your teenage years—you may have noticed you never gave off light before. Your true power however cannot be awakened until you have turned eighteen on the royal calendar. All Princesses must come to us so their power can wake, but normally it's under quite different circumstances—some cultures make a great ceremony about this. For when your power is revealed, you have been given the final tools to accomplish the task for which you were sent. You may not know what your task is—none of us in this room do--but if you stay strong in the Facets of the pure heart as long as you live, you will accomplish your task."

Kairi nodded, now excited to see where this was going. "Well, I'm ready when you are."

Jysilia smiled. "Excellent. Now follow us to the Royal Hall." The other Princesses rose and left the room, forming rows of two. Jysilia held Kairi back until every other Princess had passed. Kairi saw the lines of former Princesses all walk in perfect unity; they seemed to be stepping in time to some unheard music. The unity in movement contrasted wildly with the diversity present; there were Princesses of all shapes, sizes, races and species (a few looked quite alien but still stunningly beautiful) in dresses just as diverse. The eldest and youngest Princess of Heart followed their companions down a long hall filled with gorgeous paintings framed in gold. Finally they came to a large wooden door with a golden knob. The Princesses filed in, and Kairi was about to follow, but again Jysilia held her back. "They will need only a few seconds." True to her word, Jysilia opened the door and gestured Kairi to walk through after only a few seconds.

The young Princess gasped. Through the doorway was a long room with a red carpet fringed with gold (Kairi was getting used to the color by now) leading to an enormous chair made of all kinds of precious metals—clearly this was a throne room. But it wasn't the beauty or size (the ceiling was hardly visible) that filled Kairi with awe—it was the Princesses lined by the carpet to the throne. Each and every one was on one knee, facing downward. Kairi looked around for a moment before realizing that they were bowing before her.

"Are you kidding me?!" she said, turning to Jysilia.

"No, I'm quite serious," said Jysilia. "Remember you are a very unique Princess. Besides this ceremony has happened to all of us."

The fact that her situation was not unique did nothing to quell Kairi's awe. "So…what I am supposed to do?"

Jysilia laughed. "Go on to the throne!"

Nervously Kairi obeyed, slowly walking down the carpet, still in awe that such angelic creatures were all bowing before her. A majestic fanfare from an unseen source soon reached her ears, and she found herself walking in time with it. With every Princess she passed a new wave of awe crashed over her—this experience was simply unreal. Finally she reached the throne and found Jysilia behind her. She bowed low before Kairi before revealing a gorgeous tiara—it was made of a metal Kairi had never seen before. It resembled silver but shone with the blinding white of the Princesses. This strange metal held four different gems within the looping pattern of the tiara; Kairi recognized them as pure mythril, orichalcum, a flawless diamond and a pale spotless emerald.

"Kairi, Princess of Heart!" shouted Jysilia, her voice echoing throughout the halls. "You are of age, and it is time for your coronation. The power of light within your heart will be awakened, and you shall set out to accomplish your purpose. We know not your power or purpose, but by following the ways of the pure heart to their fullest, you will know both. Do you swear to live compassionately, showing love and kindness to all?"

"Yes." Kairi couldn't quite hold back a gulp, but Jysilia's warm smile calmed her a bit.

"Relax. This wouldn't happen if you weren't ready," she whispered. She reverted back to her booming voice as she asked, "Do you swear to unleash the Wrath of Light upon those who are fully given to the darkness and to only use this sacred power for good?"

"Yes." Kairi was more confident this time.

"Do you swear to be just and fair, never favoring one above another and never corrupting the path of justice?"

"Yes."

"Do you swear to be pure, to avoid any hint of darkness in your life and to remain a shining beacon of light in the ever-darkening worlds?"

"Yes."

"The darkness will try to corrupt you. They will try to convince you that their ways and ours are the same. Realize now that they are never the same. There is a way that may seem right to you, but in the end it will lead to death and destruction—for yourself, for those you love and for the worlds. Do you swear to never allow yourself to sink into darkness?"

"Yes."

"Then, Kairi of the Destiny Islands, I, Jysilia, am honored to give to you the crown of the Princesses of Heart. Let your reign in your worlds be long, prosperous and one where light spreads without being swallowed by darkness. Let your light conquer the shadows!"

A deep instinct told Kairi to kneel, and she did, allowing Jysilia to place the tiara gently on her head. Kairi stood, noticing how the tiara fit perfectly and how a strange feeling was coursing through her. All the Princesses now were standing, clapping and shouting, "All hail Princess Kairi!"

Kairi was overwhelmed with a mixture of joy and apprehension. Something about this place and this ceremony made her ecstatic; she had just been crowned, and she apparently had some incredible power within her. Still she feared she was not up to the task she was supposed to accomplish; she wished that she had some kind of assurance.

_And it'd be really amazing if Sora could know…_A pang of sadness struck her, and her face did not hide it. Jysilia's sharp eyes noticed.

"Why the grief, Princess?"

"My boyfriend…Sora …I only wish I could tell him about this."

Jysilia smiled sadly. "Yes, the pain of losing a loved one is great. Do not let it cause you to leave your path. Grief in itself is perfectly natural, but the ways of darkness may strike it and pervert it. I have felt such pains myself, but…" Jysilia closed her eyes as if repressing a bad memory. "Do not let the darkness twist your pain into something evil."

Kairi nodded, comforted and determined. "I'll do everything I can."

"That's all I can ask of you," the elder Princess replied. She addressed the other Princesses again. "Now we must send Kairi back to the physical world where darkness still has power. She certainly has incredible strength, but two lights shine brighter and further than one, and a multitude of lights can illuminate a world. Let her now receive the power of the multitude—shine now the Lights of the Past!"

Every Princess in the room raised their right hand towards Kairi, and beams of light emanated from every palm. Kairi felt the beams touch her, and the sensation of something coursing through her veins increased to the point that she almost felt like she was on fire—but she felt no pain. She looked at herself and was nearly blinded; the light from the Princesses was shining from her skin as well. She felt a rush of adrenaline at all of this newfound power.

"Kairi!" Jysilia called. Still blindingly radiant, Kairi turned to face the queenly figure. "Harness the light! Take it with you before you return!"

Kairi nodded and focused on reining in the light; she had no idea of how this was supposed to be done, but again instinct took over. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes with the effort, and with a sound like a powerful wind the light faded. Kairi opened her eyes to see that she was still glowing but no longer with the same intensity.

Jysilia was smiling. "Kairi, your power as a Princess of Heart has been awakened, and the Princesses of the past have given you theirs. The time has come for you to leave us…" Here Kairi's face fell; she had become quite attached to this place and its flawless light. "…but fear not. It is natural to long for this place, and you shall return upon your death—but I pray that day will be far from today." Jysilia addressed the crowd again. "All hail Princess Kairi!"

The other Princesses echoed her, and suddenly Kairi felt another white light engulf her. The Royal Hall began to fade from sight, she felt like she was spinning, and colors other than the beautiful white and gold came to view. There was green; there was blue; and to her dismay there was black—a lot of black.

Slowly the colors became more defined. She suddenly realized where she was—within one of Omegasis's six massive hands. Now she knew why she felt she had been floating in blackness before the Princesses intervened—she hadn't been dying; Omegasis had been lifting her.

_You're back?_

_Naminé! What happened to you?_

_I'm not quite sure…you just disappeared for a minute, so I had control of your body, but there wasn't much to do with those spikes in your spine. And now they're gone. So what happened to _you_?_

_Long story. Basically I'm officially a Princess of Heart now, and that apparently means I get some weird light powers._

_Sounds cool._

_You have no idea. I'll tell you more later._

_Well for now let's get rid of this big ugly thing, okay?_

_Fine by me. _Kairi grinned; now was the time to put these new powers to the test.

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are always appreciated, even if they're just to complain about the delay!_


	21. The Fire of Wrath

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself and japaneserockergirl for reviewing!_

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts; my OCs are mine, blah, blah, blah. On with the story!_

**XXI. The Fire of Wrath**

"First things first," Kairi muttered. She couldn't do too much if Omegasis kept her in his giant hand. "He doesn't like light much…"

_You're talking to yourself._

_Shut up! _Kairi continued to think despite Naminé's interruption. _Right! He always hated when I was all shiny…but why am I not doing that? I thought I have to be all wrathful or compassionate or something… _

_Maybe your new powers let you control it?_

_Sounds like an idea. _She focused, trying to discover a way to bring out the light. In the midst of her thoughts a voice that was neither hers nor Naminé's stirred up a word Kairi didn't recognize. _Maybe that's the weird instinct I kept hearing back at the coronation…well, why not? _In a powerful voice she shouted, "Royal Light!"

Immediately her skin shone with a pure white, and almost as quickly Omegasis let out a howl of surprise and agony. His huge hand opened, and Kairi fell to the ground, slowing herself with an Aeroga and restraining her light back inside her body.

King Mickey turned from Omegasis with a shocked expression on his face. "Kairi! You're alive! But…how?"

"The Princesses of Heart intervened…it was coronation time apparently," Kairi said nonchalantly.

The King nodded, understanding. "Well, it's good to have you back, Princess."

"Oh, please, don't bother with titles, Your Majesty," Kairi replied. "Let's just get rid of this thing, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." The King immediately charged towards Omegasis who had now recovered from the burning pain of Kairi's light.

"Wait! Wait!" Kairi called. The King stopped, confused. "You can't hurt him physically; he just brings all the blood back and heals. The only thing that really gives him trouble is light."

"Hm. Makes sense," the King said thoughtfully, dodging a dark sphere from Omegasis.

"You stall him; I'll get to the Cornerstone," Kairi said.

"Right!" the King replied. He faced the monster who was firing spines and dark energy attacks with a renewed fury. Meanwhile Kairi sprinted towards the castle, noticing the shocked glances of the Guardians.

"Coronation!" she said simply, hoping they'd understand. All three smiled and nodded; Hayner added, "That's what I thought all along!"

"Are you joking? You thought she was dead before we all did!" Pence retorted.

"Shut up!"

"Hey, don't lie in front of a Princess of Heart!"

"What, just because I'm a Princess you all have to be perfect? Nah, that's my job!" Kairi joked. The Guardians laughed, trying to lighten the mood; Kairi might still be alive, but Omegasis was still quite fearsome.

The newly crowned Princess of Heart slowed her pace, ready to touch the one of the most powerful sources of light in all the worlds: the Cornerstone of Light.

She raised her hand and looked toward Omegasis.

* * *

Riku blocked another swing from Ruxik's staff and countered with all his strength. The force sent Ruxik backwards a bit, allowing the Keyblader to fall to one knee. The fight had barely lasted ten minutes, and he was already completely drained. This was more difficult than any battle he had ever fought; Ruxik knew all of his techniques and tendencies as well as he did, but Riku had no such familiarity of his foe. It was like fighting a stronger, faster and smarter version of himself.

"Tired already?" mocked the Nobody, triumphantly approaching his vessel. "Ah, the advantages of having no heart—we don't ever fatigue!"

Riku gasped out a few more breaths before mustering the energy to cast a Curaga—he'd be healthier, but magic was out of the question for a while. With renewed strength he shouted, "I won't rest while you exist!"

"Is that so? You seem to be quite exhausted already. Perhaps I should try harder and put you out of your misery…"

"Exhausted? Is that what you call this?!" Enraged, Riku unleashed a brutal flurry of slashes and stabs. At first Ruxik had to block them, but eventually the attacks were so desperate and inaccurate that he didn't need to move. Finally he countered with a single horizontal swipe and sent Riku flying into a statue. The Keyblader's head rang with intense pain, and the world around him seemed watery. Without adrenaline fueling him on the pain in his arm returned, and he winced—the fight was not speeding up the healing process at all.

"Yes, my vessel, that is what I call exhausted," Ruxik taunted. "You're making this far too easy; I expected a much greater challenge. You fought me better back in Twilight Town as I recall…I suppose you don't have any ancient magic up your sleeves this time?"

Riku pondered this for a moment as his foe approached. _That is strange. The last time I fought him my Keyblade was on fire. But now…what's wrong? Am I not angry enough or something? Does he have to mention my past just to get that fire back?_

_Wait. I was angry when this all started. I had to calm myself down…he was talking about my past! Maybe that _is _the trigger._

_Come to think of it, how did this fight start? I was on my way to the Cornerstone…Kairi needed it…_

_KAIRI! _

Suddenly Riku bolted to his feet. Ruxik was taken aback by the sudden display of energy, and the scornful look on his face showed a hint of surprise.

"Where's the fire?"

"Exactly where you left it," Riku said in a rush. His eyes frantically scanned for a way out and found none. His mind raced to a solution, for once not taking the time to ensure that it was the best course of action.

"What's that supposed to—urgh!" Ruxik's sentence was cut off as he found Way to the Dawn in his stomach, blade-first. He ripped out the blade, ignoring the wound as he prepared to turn the weapon on his vessel…but he was already running from the courtyard. Riku waved his hand, and to Ruxik's dismay the Keyblade reappeared there. With one slash he penetrated the barrier Ruxik had created, and before the Nobody could fully understand what had happened, the Keyblader was halfway to the armory.

_That wretched coward! Oh, I look forward to the day when I finish him off! How could I have been born of someone so cowardly?_

_Perhaps…this isn't cowardice. It's that infernal nobility. He's going for the girl. _

_Oh, he'll be back. But next time I won't make it so easy to escape…who am I kidding? There won't be a next time! Omegasis will have a juicy little snack of that boy. But then he might turn on the girl…I guess I'll have to make sure this doesn't get out of hand. _Without another word he conjured a portal, heading for the area surrounding the armory.

* * *

Omegasis may have been little more than an animal (if that), but he still saw what was happening. That ball of light was far too strong for his tastes—it hurt just to gaze upon it. And that girl was close to it—that simply could not be good. Instinctively he blindly launched a flurry of spines, hoping at least one would hit the girl or perhaps shatter that ball.

King Mickey saw this unfold; as soon as Omegasis reared his arms, he jumped into the air and cast a Reflega. Most of the spines hit the spell or missed Kairi entirely, but one managed to pierce the spell and carry on its path to Kairi.

Pence's alert eye caught this. "Kairi! Move!"

Picking up on his fearful tone, Kairi turned around and gasped as she saw a purple spine heading for her. Without time to cast a spell, she dove to the ground. The spine narrowly missed her but bounced off the Cornerstone instead, falling to the ground harmlessly.

"Well, that was close," Kairi said rather unnecessarily. Suddenly she felt sick to her stomach, and her eye caught something amiss with the Cornerstone. From the point where the spine had hit, a purplish-black substance seemed to spreading. It seemed like a strange hybrid of a liquid and gas, but this was far from Kairi's mind--it was dimming the Cornerstone's light. As the light grew dimmer, she grew sicker and soon felt the urge to vomit. She tried to stand but staggered, and her hand brushed the Cornerstone as she fell.

Even in her sickened state she noticed how the strange substance dispersed from where her hand touched. It proceeded to come back in full force, but the dispersion gave her an idea. Again she tried to come to her feet, but the strange illness had made her too weak to stand.

"Kairi!" Olette cried, running to her side. She knelt beside Kairi, scanning her. Her pale, sickly complexion was immediately obvious, and her skin was cold to the touch. However the marks on Kairi's palms were the giveaway: despite being so close to the Cornerstone, they were hardly shining at all. The female Guardian turned to her companions. "That spine darkened the Cornerstone. She can heal it, but the darkness made her pretty sick."

"But…why can't you do it?" Kairi asked weakly.

"That Cornerstone is fueled by a different kind of light than we have…only you Princesses can interfere with it," Olette replied.

Kairi sighed. "Of course."

"Well, I guess we're going to have to prop you up," Hayner said, casually strolling over with Pence. The Guardians slowly lifted Kairi to her feet; when she didn't move touch the stone, Pence held her wrist and guided it to the stone.

At this time Omegasis howled and launched another spine. Olette happened to chance a glance backwards and immediately cried, "Down!"

In the blink of an eye the Guardians hit the ground, bringing a dazed Kairi with them. Unfortunately this most recent spine hit the Cornerstone as well, and soon the stone was almost completely dark. Kairi was now on the verge of unconsciousness; her newly awakened regal instincts couldn't bear the sight of so much light contaminated so fully. A shudder shook down her spine as tears began to fall down her face. She was dimly shocked at such emotion that she didn't quite understand, but she was too physically weak to control her own emotions.

"Oh jeez…" Olette cringed and looked to the other Guardians. "She's really not taking this well; she's too young a Princess to witness this."

"Well, just keep her conscious!" Hayner nearly shouted. "You try to take care of the light; I'll just try to keep her awake!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Pence retorted. "I'm no Princess of Heart. She needs a different light than what we've got."

"I think I might be able to help here."

The Guardians all turned on a dime and smiled. Hayner was the first to speak once he was sure Kairi was still awake. "Hey, Riku, where've you been?"

"Saving the King, battling Ruxik…you know, the usual," Riku replied casually.

"Cool…so how can you help?" Pence queried.

"Give me a second…" Riku closed his eyes, digging into his memory, searching for the phrases that set him off.

_"But you gave yourself to darkness; did you not? Embodying Xehanort who wanted to find the ultimate darkness, attempting to kill your best friend to save your love, trying to take said love's heart…that's pretty close to being a Heartless if you ask me."_

_"You still wanted the darkness! You knew that darkness would give you greater power, and so you gave yourself to it!"_

_"Just keep pretending you're so perfect. Please. It'll make it so much more fun to remind you that you spent a year wandering through the realm of darkness and tried to kill your 'best friend'."_

_"Don't try to deny this, Riku; you know every word I speak is true!"_

A furious scream formed in Riku's throat. He unleashed it, relishing every echo. The Guardians looked at him in shock. Kairi awoke from her stupor enough to gaze at the source of the terrible noise. Even the bloodthirsty Omegasis stared.

Soon not a single eye was looking at Riku; rather his Keyblade.

It was on fire. The dark flame, familiar to Riku, was a shock to everyone else—despite its dark color it illuminated the area about a hundred yards from the blade. It took a few seconds for the Guardians to recognize it for what it was.

"Congratulations, Riku; you've finally mastered the Fire of Wrath," Pence said.

"Don't distract me—I've gotta stay ticked off, or I'll lose it," Riku replied through gritted teeth. Without another word he took off, charging towards Omegasis.

Pence shrugged. "Okay, so he hasn't quite mastered it yet,"

Kairi meanwhile had felt strangely comforted since the light from the Keyblade had been cast. She awoke from her near-unconscious stupor, felt the nausea fade and could stand again albeit weakly. As she got to her feet, surprising Olette, she asked curiously, "So does anyone know why I'm fine again?"

"The Fire of Wrath must have some healing qualities, I guess," Pence offered. "It's the right kind of light anyway; it was the Princesses' creation."

"Well, anyway, it worked," Kairi replied. "But what is that idiot Riku doing?" He was still charging Omegasis head-on, but he took a sharp left when he saw a salvo of spikes heading for the King. He jumped to cleave them in half with his Keyblade, but instead the flames reacted; they leapt from the blade as if they had grown an arm and grabbed the spikes. Immediately the spikes became ash and fell to the ground; Omegasis responded with a frustrated growl.

"Hey, Riku!" the King called jovially. "What's the plan?"

"Let me get behind him; I've got to draw his attention away from Kairi!" Riku snarled. He felt no ill will towards his king, but he was forcing himself to remain angry by dwelling on Ruxik's words, or else he would lose the Fire of Wrath that engulfed his Keyblade.

His angry tone was lost on the King who nodded and proceeded to charge up a flurry of light spells. Omegasis growled in anger at the burning pain the spells caused and punched the ground with four arms. The intensity of the blow dealt shockwaves in all directions, knocking the King and Riku off their feet. Riku quickly recovered and continued running around the titan, but the King was pinned by one of the Heartless's gigantic arms.

"Your Majesty!" Riku cried, redoubling his speed in an effort to save his king. Finally he took up his position directly behind Omegasis and steeled himself. He had never done this on deliberately before, and perhaps it was a risk to try it here—but he had no other options. He had to save Kairi and the King, and he had to prove his strength to his Nobody. Ruxik was a dangerous foe—his vessel was looking to prove he had equal power from his devotion to light, manifest now in this flame covering his Keyblade. A deep, powerful instinct took over him now; something in his mind recognized it as the voice of a long-dead Keyblader.

"Behold, Omegasis!" he bellowed, using a voice far deeper than his own. The beast turned, releasing his forceful grip on the King who immediately cast Curaga on himself and watched the spectacle unfolding in front of him. Riku continued to open his mouth, allowing the ancient Keyblader to awaken some secret strength within him. "Darkest of beasts, firstborn of the shadow, behold the Fire of Wrath!"

With that he thrust his Keyblade into the ground, and crevasses appeared from where the blade hit the ground. Dark flames leapt from Way to the Dawn as it had done before, forming a great tendril of fire. To Riku's surprise this was not the end; more tendrils formed from the cracks in the ground until there were dozens of them, covering Omegasis in their burning grasp. The giant Heartless howled in agony; this light was agony to him. He writhed and flailed, but the flames stuck to his flesh, and he could feel his power waning. In desperation he let out a deep bellow that shook the earth, and he thrust all six arms down to his sides, casting a massively powerful spell. The flames formed a tighter shell around him but lost their light, and suddenly they dissipated. With the light from the fire gone darkness covered the area around Omegasis.

"This looks like my cue," Kairi muttered, far from this scene. The strength that the Fire had given her had not yet faded, and she thrust her hand to the Cornerstone before Omegasis could interfere. Immediately the strange substance coursing through the Cornerstone disappeared, and Kairi felt a sensation akin to when the Princesses of Heart had given her their power. However this time the sensation was exponentially stronger; she felt herself levitating off the ground from the intense power of light entering her body. She cast her arms down to her sides and flexed, trying to harness this incredible power, and the dress she had worn at her coronation magically replaced her silver battle garments. Her tiara appeared on her head as well; and she knew she had mastered the light of the Cornerstone.

"Omegasis!" Her voice like Riku's had adopted a tone not her own; from her throat echoed the voices of the Princesses of Heart. The beast turned from the boy with the flaming sword to the girl who was shining like a sun. In pain he tried to turn back but found himself caught between two sources of light. Eventually he settled on Riku, the lesser of the two evils. Kairi responded by thrusting out her hand; a ribbon of light appeared, caught Omegasis by the arm and turned him around to face her.

"Omegasis!" she called again. "You will not escape your fate!" Without thinking she turned to Riku; her regal instincts had control of her at this point. "Keyblader! Let the Fire of Wrath burn again, and the beast will fall!"

Riku stood with mouth agape at this shining, royal version of Kairi. He had absolutely no idea what was happening, but the voice of the old Keyblader spoke for him. "Yes, Majesty!" He grabbed Way to the Dawn and pulled it out of the ground only to stab it further down than the previous attempt. Again the Fire of Wrath engulfed Omegasis, yet Riku had devoted not one thought to Ruxik and his cutting words.

The titanic Heartless roared in agony once more, but before he could cast a spell to save himself, he saw Kairi. She was covered by strands of solid light that swirled around her like serpentine moons around a planet. The strands moved more swiftly, and soon it appeared as though they formed an egg-shaped orb around the Princess. Yet this orb did not hide her booming voice. "Your time has come, Omegasis!"

The strands of light swiftly fled from Kairi, but her brightness did not fade. They formed a colossal hammer in the sky, brighter than any star and larger than even the massive Heartless. Kairi grabbed the handle with one hand and effortlessly swung downward onto Omegasis. The hammer erupted in a shower of blinding light, and the beast let out a howl so piercing that the castle walls cracked. The sound continued for some time until finally the light grew even brighter and at last faded. Looking upwards, Kairi could just barely see the hearts Omegasis had stolen flying to their domain. She allowed herself to float back down to the ground, meeting the shocked glance of King Mickey and the wide smiles of the Guardians; they knew exactly what had transpired. To her slight disappointment her dress disappeared again and was replaced by her battle garments.

By this time Riku had finally made his way back to the armory. Upon seeing Kairi, he smiled weakly. "Good job, Kairi…whatever you just did." With that he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

This time it was Pence who examined the Keyblader. He shook his head, still smiling. "This might be the stupidest thing ever, but… he fell asleep!"

Kairi couldn't help but laugh. "Lazy boy! I could go for another round with…" Suddenly she felt a wave of exhaustion nearly knock her to the ground as well. "Okay, maybe not."

"Let's get you to a bed, shall we?" Olette offered. She looked to Hayner and Pence. "I guess you guys can haul him up to his room."

"Hey, why us?" Hayner griped.

"Because I say I like Olette's idea, and I'm a Princess," Kairi retorted playfully. The whole party laughed at her joke and slowly began to return to the castle. Kairi walked a little slower than the rest, casting one last glance at the sky.

_Did you see that, Sora? I only hope this is what you'd want of me…I think it is._

_If only you were here to see it…_ Even her grief could not quell her triumph—or exhaustion. With the promise of her incredible bed waiting for her she turned and walked into the castle.

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are always appreciated!_


	22. The Birth of a Witch

__

A/N: Thanks to my loyal fans, singintoyourself, japaneserockergirl and oathkeeper for reviewing! Also thanks to oathkeeper (2x!) for reviewing my KH tragedy/romance story Final Night !

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but my OCs (and backstories of existing characters) are mine. On with the story!_

**XXII. The Birth of a Witch**

Riku awoke from a dreamless sleep, stretching and yawning tremendously. He hadn't felt so well-rested in ages; the fight against Omegasis and Ruxik had taken a lot out of him. He realized gratefully that despite his susceptibility to nightmares, his Nobody's words had not plagued his dreams. He also realized that he didn't remember ever going to his room; he assumed the Guardians had taken him. He got out of bed and walked to his closet, and to his surprise he didn't have a fresh set of battle garments waiting but rather a dark red muscle shirt, short blue vest and blue mesh shorts. Wondering why the dress code had changed so drastically, he put them on and headed down towards the mess hall as his stomach growled so loudly it echoed off the wall.

Upon opening the door he squinted; the hall was lit more brightly than he remembered, and his eyes took some time to adjust.

"Hey, he lives!" a bright voice sounded behind him. Turning on a stair, he saw Kairi, also clad in casual attire: a bright red blouse and white skirt.

"Hey, Kairi," he replied. "How'd you sleep? Felt like I'd been there for days."

"That's because you were," Kairi retorted. "You slept through all of yesterday. You've been out for something like thirty-six hours."

Riku raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, that's a personal best."

"Best? You left me with nothing to do all day! There's not a lot to do here!"

"You couldn't find _anything_ to do in this huge castle?"

"No, they wouldn't _let_ me do anything! The King refused to let me out of bed, and he had, like, a million servants around me the whole time! It's always 'Your Majesty this' and 'Princess that'…it's so annoying!"

"You had Naminé though."

"We can only talk for so long," Kairi replied. In truth they had talked for a long time; Naminé had wanted to know every last detail of Kairi's coronation, showing a particular interest in the royal dresses.

Riku waved his hand dismissively as he continued to the mess hall. Kairi followed, a bit miffed that her rant had been ineffective. They arrived at the mess hall, and Riku barely had his hand on the doorknob before he heard a squeaky voice at his waist.

"Riku! Your Highness! Master Yen Sid sent a message!" the King said excitedly.

Riku's eyes grew wide with excitement while Kairi rolled hers dismissively. "Can you _please_ not call me by a title, Your Majesty? I have a name. It's Kairi. K-a-i-r-i. Got it?"

Before the King could reply, Riku snickered under his breath. "For a second I thought you were going to say, 'Got it memorized?', and I was going to have to call you Axel."

"And I would have to call you dead," Kairi retorted coolly. She turned to the King who was trying to suppress a smile. "So what's the message, Your Majesty?"

"See for yourself," the King answered, handing her a fairly official-looking envelope. Kairi opened it carefully while Riku read Yen Sid's flawless cursive script over her shoulder.

_Riku and Princess Kairi,_

_I have heard of your victory over Omegasis at the castle, and I offer my most sincere congratulations—slaying the most powerful Heartless known to exist is no small feat. It has also come to my attention that Kairi has been officially crowned as a Princess of Heart; I must extend my congratulations to the new Princess. Both of you have certainly earned yourself some time to relax and recover. However I once again extend my offer to refine your skills in the magical arts. It is a difficult training regimen that would require you to remain in Twilight Town for some time, yet the rewards shall certainly be great especially in these dark hours. I look forward to hearing your response, be it in writing or in person._

_Regards,_

_- Master Yen Sid_

Riku nodded his approval. "Sounds good to me; what do you say?"

Kairi nodded also. "Sounds good…I just need a little downtime."

"Yeah, a couple of days off would feel _really_ good right about now," Riku agreed. " 'Course that's probably not going to happen with the war on."

King Mickey's eyes widened. "Didn't you hear?"

"He's been asleep, Your Majesty," Kairi offered.

"Wait—what's the news?" Something told Riku that this news was big.

The King was almost jumping with excitement. "The Heartless and Nobodies—they're gone! After you took down Omegasis, they didn't leave a trace! We won! The war's over!"

Riku was ecstatic. "That's awesome! Well then, I guess we'll get those days off after all."

"Oh yeah, about that…" the King interjected. "Olette was talking to me…you should see her about your arm. She wants to put it in a sling so it can heal right; the past few days haven't been too good for it."

"You got that right," Riku said, looking at his injured limb. He was still aware of the pain, but it had been plaguing him for so long that he had nearly grown a tolerance for it. With a sigh he said, "Where is she?"

"Healing Room, as usual," the King answered. With a brief farewell Riku left, Kairi following close behind.

"No way! You are not leaving me alone all day again!"

"I'm getting my arm fixed up—nothing too exciting."

"It's better than nothing."

With another sigh Riku resigned, allowing Kairi to follow.

* * *

Maleficent lay crumpled on the floor of the Altar of Naught. She hadn't moved since the summoning of Omegasis except for the shudders that racked her spine every so often. She had never felt such terror in ages—her heart had grown so black and callous that if something managed to actually intimidate her, it would have to be something truly horrifying. Omegasis had been that horrifying.

She knew the legends of his frightening power. He could level entire worlds in one howl. Heartless gravitated towards him; he grew stronger by consuming their dark power. The light of stars and moons disappeared when he was summoned. Certainly this titan could and would annihilate her without a second thought…and yet Ruxik had controlled this juggernaut. What did that say of the power of him who Maleficent thought was merely a hindrance? She had planned all along to support Ruxik only until she could take his place; he was a rash young Nobody with some parlor tricks while she was a witch who had seen as many worlds rise and fall as most humans had seen sunrises and sunsets. She had never considered that this idiotic youth could pose a threat to her.

And then he had summoned Omegasis. Maleficent had never dared to even attempt the feat. Many had tried to bring the dark titan from the Realm of Darkness, and the few that had succeeded with their lives became legends. Ruxik didn't have that kind of power…or did he? Could perhaps the strange conditions of his creation have created a Nobody with unusually acute dark powers? Could Ruxik possibly be stronger than her?

All of these thoughts had raced through her mind in the seconds following the summoning. They had all left as soon as Ruxik looked at her.

She was still not exactly sure what Ruxik had done; it didn't matter. The results were what Maleficent remembered. His fairly normal face had suddenly become that of a demon; horns, tentacles, too many eyes (and all were discolored in the most hideous of ways)…and then the memories.

The only reason Maleficent was not a Heartless under normal conditions was her abnormally powerful ability to suppress memories. She had done terrible deeds in her youth; many had done quite less before succumbing to the Heartless. But her knack for suppression had kept her in her normal body. She had learned from an old dark grimoire the reason people became Heartless was not necessarily the actions they did—it was allowing those actions to consume them. If one could forget that they had ever even committed the dark actions, one could keep the power that resulted from diving into darkness without fear of becoming one of the minions he or she desired to control. Maleficent had mastered this technique to the point that she was far more evil than the average Heartless, yet her body had remained mostly intact—she had not been born with horns on her head.

But Ruxik's spell had brought back those memories. For the first time in eons, Maleficent had to fight against the darkness that threatened to take consume her. She had always controlled the darkness as easily as a marionette controls a puppet. Now the puppet had finally had enough and was poised to usurp its master. Its weapon was simple: Maleficent's own memory. She had managed to fight off its initial waves despite writhing on the ground in fear and agony, but the recollection of one memory had nearly made her a Heartless.

* * *

The day started innocently enough. The pale girl with jet-black hair wasn't paying attention in class, but that was hardly a cardinal offense, and she was far from the only one doing so. A piece of paper found its way onto her desk with lines and lines of strange markings that could be hardly recognized as a language.

Of course the girl knew what the markings meant—they were Ghrithshax markings. She had known that ever since creatures began to try to manipulate those lost to the darkness, they had realized a written language would be needed to communicate the strange language of the Heartless, and so Ghrithshax had been created. The girl noted by the signature that this note had come from a fellow student of darkness named Ariso, a boy whom the girl had always liked. His short hair was black today (one week he had covered every color of the rainbow), and he was tall and thin, covered in tattoos.

"Malena—tonight we're going to try it. You have the Grimiore? Can't wait.

Ariso.

The girl smiled a beautiful smile, hardly fitting of her demeanor—but then again her very nature was a great asset. Nobody suspected her of being a witch; she didn't dress all in black with strange markings on her face like Ariso and his friends. She was far from popular, but neither was she an outcast. She was almost unnoticed by her classmates and teachers, and she was quite fine with it.

She began to write her reply, also in Ghrithshax.

"Ariso—I always have it. Meet you after class—I'm ready for this.

--Malena

The day passed quickly, and after her master ended class, she immediately found Ariso and his two friends: Siana, a short girl with flaming red hair who was always quietly scheming, and Rodlin, a tall, menacing boy with short black hair and piercing black eyes. She headed to Ariso's house with the rest of them; she knew her parents wouldn't miss her or even notice her absence until the next morning. They spent the time chatting aimlessly whenever they needed to stay hidden and discussing their dark plans otherwise.

Finally the clock drew near to midnight, and the combination of boredom and anxiety that was in the room was replaced by excitement. Rodlin and Ariso, being the strongest of the group, began to barricade the doors and block the windows in an attempt to prevent both intruders and light from entering the basement where the summons would take place. This was what Malena had been anticipating all day—for the first time the amateur wizards and witches were going to try to summon a Heartless. They were starting small with a mere Shadow, but they knew the implications. The first summons was always the most dangerous, but once they had hardened their hearts enough to survive the first encounter, each subsequent one would be easier—or so her ancient grimiore had said.

She tried to block out her anticipation as she and Siana began to create the environment that should be most pleasing to the Shadow. On a black metal table they laid three small bird carcasses with the hearts still present—these would be for the Heartless to eat so it would be distracted. When it was no longer paying attention to its summoners, the witches and wizards could strike fear in it and then exert their power over it.

Rodlin and Ariso were back quickly, and the four youths stood so that they formed the points of a cross. The room was pitch-black, but months of practice had attuned their senses to the point that this was not a problem—they could see fairly well in the dark, but mostly they relied on their hearing.

It was only seconds to midnight. Ariso cleared his throat nervously before speaking. "So…who's gonna summon it?"

Everyone in the room looked at everyone else despite the darkness. They had spent so long waiting for this day, but now they realized that nobody really wanted to risk conjuring a creature of darkness—except for one.

"I'll do it."

Ariso cast a glance in the direction from where he had heard the reply. "Malena? Are you sure?"

Malena nodded grimly. "What do I have to lose? Besides I've been poring over that grimiore for a reason."

Ariso sighed. "Any objections?" No one had any. "Alright, Malena. It's midnight…so here goes. Siana, get the cord ready."

Malena braced herself as she began to dig the summons from her memory—the first Heartless summons was more complicated than any other. She suppressed the last hint of fear and began to mutter the summons in a calm, poised tone. As she did, Siana tied a black rope to her left wrist and began to walk around the table, looping the cord around more wrists as she went. She ended with Malena's wrist, thus uniting the whole group in their summoning efforts.

"…_**Zyrian toghrinahs anivr!" **_The spell ended just as Siana appeared back in her appointed place. The group held their collective breaths until they heard a strange sound and saw a black orb hovering above the table. The fact that they could see anything was unusual; even in the darkness the orb seemed to be sucking light from the surrounding area, and that process made the orb temporarily visible. Suddenly a black antenna reached from the portal, followed by a second antenna, a head, an arm, a leg…a Shadow stood on the table.

The entire group was still breathless but showed no fear—they knew the consequences of fear. They heard a sound like a high-pitched squeak, and then there was a rustling and a crunch; the Shadow was eating. Another squeak followed, this one somehow sounding content, pleased.

Malena couldn't suppress a smile. "I think it's calm."

Ariso nodded. "Good work, Malena. Shall we order it?"

"Sounds alright."

"Good. Rodlin, do the honors."

The tall youth blinked once and then spoke in a commanding voice. "Heartless, on the ground now!" A breathless moment passed, and then the Heartless climbed down the table and lay prone.

"Unbelievable…" Everyone could hear the shock in Ariso's voice. "My turn." He cleared his throat. "Heartless, rise!" To his further amazement the Heartless stood.

Malena almost shook her head like a disappointed parent. They had a Heartless—a _Heartless_—and they were hardly tapping into its power! "Enough tricks! Heartless, break this!" She ripped a pearl necklace from her neck and tossed a pearl to the Shadow. It held the bright pearl despite being in slight pain from the light it reflected; then its grip tightened, and the pearl shattered.

_Unbelievable…_Malena was awed by the power she had through this beast, but a loud knocking disturbed her reverie.

"Ariso? Ariso? What's going on…and what's wrong with the door?"

Ariso swore vehemently under his breath. "Hide the Shadow! I'll cover for this." He untied the loop around his wrist, ran upstairs and pretended to fiddle with the doorknob. "I think I locked myself down here!" he called with a very believable mix of surprise and amusement.

"Nice try, Ariso. You've barricaded the door again…I swear, when I get down there…"

Malena felt a surge of anger. Ariso's parents had interfered only once before, and they had kept Ariso from seeing friends for weeks. Of course he could still sneak out at night, but they had to be much more careful, and this impeded their progress.

A loud thud followed by a sound of splintering wood reached her acute ears. Ariso ran down the stairs in a panic. "They're coming…and the Shadow! It's still here! Dismiss it—do something, or they're never gonna let me out of the house!"

"Like that's stopped you before?" Siana cut in sarcastically.

Ariso was not in the mood. "Just…just…do something!"

Before anyone could come up with a decent plan, Ariso's parents had come downstairs—Ariso's father had quite a short temper and a sharp axe. He was currently the color of a ripe tomato, and he looked ready to kill.

"ARISO! YOU'VE BEEN MESSING WITH YOUR WITCH-FRIENDS AGAIN! THAT'S IT!" With another axe-swing he cut the cord tying the youths together.

That was a big mistake.

The cord helped the stoic Siana's calm flow through each of the youths and keep them under control. Now there was no such union, and nothing stopped Malena's temper from flaring. She saw a red haze cloud her vision, and she could nearly feel something tangible hindering her thought process.

Now she could see the true power of a Heartless.

"Heartless, attack!"

The creature turned excitedly towards Malena who was pointing at Ariso's father. In his rage the old man had completely missed the strange black beast; now that he saw it his eyes opened wide, and his rage became terror.

"Ariso…stop this thing!"

The boy turned to Malena, more afraid of her than his father's peril. "Malena…w-what are you doing?"

Malena did not answer; the Heartless spoke for her. It lunged for Ariso's father and immediately began to claw for his heart. The man bellowed in pain and screamed for help, but neither Ariso, Siana nor Rodlin could do anything, and Malena simply would not. She was content to watch the Heartless's insatiable lust for hearts, and the Heartless was more than content to follow her orders and deny those who would try to spare his target.

In just a few seconds Ariso's father disappeared, and the Heartless lifted its head, quite happy with its meal. But by this point Ariso's mother had appeared, and before Malena could say anything, it had attacked her as well.

Siana stared at Malena with fury in her eyes. "Malena! Now you've gone and made it bloodthirsty! You can't stop it now!"

Malena felt a twinge of guilt, but it was overridden by the violent nature that had overtaken her. "Silence! This power is mine to command, and you will not stop me!" She noted with surprise that she spoke much more formally under the dark influence.

Siana took a step back, mortified at the carnage; Ariso's innocent mother had been destroyed as well. The beast returned to the small birds on the table, and Malena prepared to dismiss it.

Before she could begin, the Shadow lifted its head and saw four other humans. One was nice; she told it to eat its fill. The others…they had tried to stop her…they had tried to stop it…

"NO!" Malena was truly panicking now; the beast was attacking Rodlin. She hurried through the dismissal spell but to no avail; Rodlin was gone in moments. Now Siana and Ariso turned on her furiously, and Malena went white in fear.

"Siana…get the cord…maybe we…"

"THE CORD WAS BROKEN!" Ariso roared.

"Whose fault is that?!" Malena retorted, fear replaced by rage. "It's your house; you could have done a better job…"

"OF WHAT? STOPPING THEM? HOW WOULD I KNOW MY FATHER WOULD HAVE HIS AXE WITH HIM? HOW WOULD I KNOW THEY'D WAKE UP? YOU LET MY PARENTS DIE!! THIS IS ALL—ARGH!"

The Shadow had finished with Rodlin and was now attacking Ariso. Malena shouted every order she could think of, trying to get the beast off her closest friend.

"Heartless! Stop! Get off! Here!" She threw a bird carcass at it. The Shadow stopped briefly to investigate the bird and then returned to clawing at the flailing Ariso. Siana tried to grab the Heartless, but it merely slashed at her, wounding her. In desperation she tried again to save the boy, but she merely brought doom upon herself: the Heartless went for her heart instead. Knowing that Siana was doomed, Malena ran to Ariso who was lying in a crimson pool of his own blood.

"Ariso…I'm so sorry…I can't believe…" Her voice grew thick.

Ariso sighed painfully. "We…went too fast…we weren't ready…my fault." He turned to the side, vomiting blood.

"Ariso…no…" Malena was despondent. She cried over the silent boy as he died, mercifully spared the fate of losing his own heart. Siana however was not so fortunate, and the Heartless returned to Malena's side, trying to see if its master was pleased. Malena went through the dismissal spell dully before falling to the ground and sobbing for some time. Eventually her head cleared, and some thoughts came to her head.

_That power…I couldn't control it…but it felt so GOOD…_

_You know, I didn't really even care about his parents or Rodlin or even Siana…just Ariso._

_So I learned my lesson—take it slower. Don't underestimate._

_But I'm sure not giving this up. No way. I've felt dark power. I want it. I need it. I will master it. No one's here to slow me down or stop me; my parents could care less. _

_Although Malena is a really bad name for a witch…_

_

* * *

_Maleficent now sat up, shuddering at how close to the edge that memory had taken her. Just a second more of recollecting that power and she would have been nothing more than the beast she had summoned. But the end of that memory had empowered her. She had devoted her life to mastering the powers of darkness; she wasn't going to give it up now. Ruxik had proved a tougher adversary than she had expected; that wouldn't stop her. She would play the role of the perfect accomplice for now; it was only a matter of time before Ruxik would bow before her.

As if on cue Ruxik came in through a portal, his dismay poorly veiled by stoicism. Maleficent got to her feet and put on a false air of willing obedience. "A success?"

"A failure. A complete failure. They destroyed Omegasis—_Omegasis! _Kairi was crowned, and Riku's got some old Keyblader in him somehow. I'm not going to interfere for a while. I _need_ to make sure my next step is a success. But the girl's mind has deviated from Sora…how to bring it back?"

Immediately several ideas raced through Maleficent's head. _Of course we both want the same thing…helping him is truly in my best interests._ "I might be of some assistance here…"

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are always appreciated!_


	23. Opening the Wound

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself and oathkeeper for reviewing! Also thanks to DARKENING SHADOWS for reviewing my two-shot, __Final Night!_

_My school's lengthy teacher's strike is over which means AP Chemistry has started which means you're not going to see a lot of me around here…sorry! I'll do what I can!_

_I own my OCs only; Disney and Square Enix own the rest except for a small The World Ends with You reference…that is property of Square Enix—and if you catch the reference, you get 1 million awesome points from me! On with the story! _

**XXIII. Opening the Wound**

"Down!"

For what felt like the hundredth time the two young Keybladers hit the ground, their palms digging ditches in the dirt as they went through another round of twenty pushups. They had started their training regime with Yen Sid just a day ago, but they were already feeling the pain of the old master's workout. His philosophy was that a magician could only reach his full potential if he could perform under pressure; that way when not under pressure the magician could become more powerful. Pressure came in the form of mental and physical exhaustion. Physical exhaustion consisted of the endless calisthenics; mental fatigue came in the forced concentration given right after the workout so that the Keybladers couldn't recover.

In short it was torture, and it was only serving to make the two angry.

"Up!" At the sound of the old man's voice, the pair jumped up on their feet. "Freeze!" They were motionless. "Cast Thundaga!"

Normally this was an effortless task, but thanks to the calisthenics Riku could hardly channel his energy enough to cast any spell, and instead of the blinding maelstrom the spell normally cast he got a few sparks. Kairi's spell had a similar effect, and Riku braced for the harsh yell Yen Sid was about to unleash.

"Need I remind you why you are doing this in the first place?!"

_Here we go again…_

"I can guarantee Ruxik and Maleficent will not let you two slip through their grasp again! They will come after you with every last ounce of power they possess! If you can't cast a spell under stress, you will fall to them in moments! You must focus!"

Riku let out an angry sigh that did not escape the keen ears of the old master.

"So clearly my words are falling on deaf ears. Perhaps you need additional motivation." He turned to Kairi. "You—you do realize why you got away from Omegasis alive? If not for the intervention of the Princesses, you would have died! You don't have the magic skill to fend for yourself against a beast of that strength, and who's to say you could bring your royal powers into play on command? If Omegasis returned, you would die! Have you forgotten that it was Ruxik who slew Sora? Yes! Your lover fell at the hands of this being, and you seem more than willing to join him!"

The words were like a switch to both Keybladers. Thanks to the intensity of the war and the training regimen, they had almost forgotten the ultimate purpose for their fight. The resurrection of that memory sent boiling blood coursing through their veins. When Yen Sid called for more calisthenics, both went to it with a renewed focus. Kairi was able to channel her emotions immediately into focus, but Riku had to take a slightly different path.

_This is a trap. He's trying to get emotions to cloud my thinking. Then I'll screw up the spell, and he'll yell again. I have to focus._

_Wait—all the calisthenics are a trap too! That's why this is so hard…I'll show him. I'm not falling for that one again._

After a series of crunches both Keybladers sprang and cast a Blizzaga so powerful ice formed on the walls. Yen Sid smiled and cast a Fire spell to melt the ice before turning to his students.

"That seems to have done the trick."

* * *

"So what's your grand scheme?" Ruxik asked coolly. He was pacing around The Altar of Naught; the shining light of Kingdom Hearts was often quite the motivator for him.

Maleficent had to work quite hard to suppress the smirk she normally used when talking to Ruxik. _I cannot let him see anything rebellious. Then again he does seem distracted. _"It's quite simple, really. You've been trying very indirect ways to get her mind on Sora; simply making her depressed won't do. Fear of you, failure in battle, the loss of her friends…it's much too indirect. When the complicated methods fail, sometimes the simplest are the most effective."

"I told you, I'm not going to kill Riku," Ruxik interrupted angrily. "Not yet. He will meet his end when I declare it fitting."

"No, that wasn't the plan I had in mind," Maleficent replied smoothly. "Think about it. What are you trying to do?"

"Fulfill myself as an incomplete Nobody?"

"That's the overall goal; think smaller. What's the first step of that grand plan?"

"Get Kairi to grieve."

"And why would she grieve?"

"Because her lovebird died—look, where is this going?"

"I'm simply trying to say you have taken a very indirect path to your goal. Try something simpler."

"Besides killing Riku too?"

Maleficent grinned evilly. "I was thinking of something a little bit closer to her heart. When given the chance it's always best to strike closest to home."

Ruxik's eyes lit up as a smirk spread across his face as well. "I already see where this is going…"

"Just don't make the same mistake as the last time."

"Oh, don't worry about underestimation. A thousand Keybladers and every last Princess of Heart wouldn't be able to stop what I've got planned." He snapped his fingers and conjured a portal. "Get some Heartless ready while I'm gone. I'll get some more when I return."

As the young Nobody stepped through the portal, Maleficent set to work, summoning Heartless upon Heartless.

_Already he trusts me…this will be far too easy._

_Those thoughts got you in trouble before._

_That's because I didn't know where to draw the line. I do now. I have to hold my cards closer to my chest, and I will. _

_…Why do my thoughts about him always end in cards-playing analogies?_

* * *

The days turned into weeks, and Yen Sid's training was no less vigorous until today, their first day free of training. The Keybladers had mastered everything the old magician could offer, and now Ultima spells were hardly any trouble. Riku had spent what little downtime he had cooped up in Yen Sid's library, reading up on the history of the Keybladers, trying to find which being inhabited him. Unfortunately there were thousands of Keybladers from countless worlds, and searching through several volumes had led to no results. The only qualification that eased the search was that historians had agreed that if Riku was not the Keyblade Master, then a former Keyblade Master would not inhabit him. Still the search went on until it wearied Riku, and so he was glad for this trip into the shopping district of Twilight Town. He was going to meet with the Guardians and enjoy the town while trying to hunt down a birthday present for Kairi. These past few months had been extremely difficult for her, and Riku was trying to give her something to keep her mind off of her beloved Sora. However, being male, he had absolutely no idea what form that gift would take which was why he was asking Olette for advice.

"Let's go to Sunset Terrace; they just put in a new shopping center. The jewelry store there is _awesome,_" Olette said with a content sigh. This was interrupted when she saw Riku's head shake.

"I'm trying to make her happy, not ask her out," he answered.

Olette rolled her eyes and sighed again, this time somewhat exasperatedly. "Then what are you looking for?"

"I'll know when I see it. When's the next train to the Terrace?"

Pence rattled off the time while Olette sighed for a third time. "This boy does _not _know how to shop…" she muttered as she followed her friends.

A few minutes' walk had them at the station where the train was due to leave in twelve minutes. The ride went by quickly, and soon Riku found himself at Sunset Haven, the new shopping center. It certainly appeared new; even the buildings seemed to have a radiant glow as they reflected the perpetual sun. It was also a fairly busy place with people meandering around, comparing purchases and window shopping. Riku was glad for that; this way he wouldn't be noticed wandering awkwardly through the area.

"Are you sure you don't want to check out the jewelry store?" Olette pressed. Riku took a glance and easily found the sign: Hanekoma Jewelers. It didn't seem to be an overtly feminine place (thankfully); other men seemed to be walking through it awkwardly either because they lacked the enthusiasm of the women with them or because they had no idea what to get their special someone.

"Might as well give it a shot," he relented. With a squeal Olette started running, and now it was Riku's turn to sigh as he turned to Hayner and Pence.

"Isn't she a little old for that?"

Pence shrugged. "She's kept up the 'teenage girl' ruse for so long that I think she's started to believe it herself." With that the three boys followed into the store and began the search. Olette naturally had already planned out the event.

"So you want something that's not romantic and something that will get her mind off of Sora. Well, those two would go hand in hand…although I'm not really sure whether we'll find that here."

"Then why did we go here?"

"You said it was worth a shot," Olette replied. She returned to browsing, muttering and shaking her head often. Riku slowly walked through the store, trying to find something that fit the criteria of which even he was not quite sure.

"Can I help you?" said an amiable male voice. Riku turned to find a man with slick, spiked black hair and a few days' worth of stubble.

"Um…yeah, probably…"

"I heard you and your friends over there," the man said. "I think I know what you're looking for—just come with me." Before waiting for Riku's response the man left. Riku tentatively followed until the man came to a rack that looked relatively full.

"Keychains?"

"Yeah…some company thought the world needs really fancy keychains. As you can see, they haven't exactly sold too well…but they do kinda sound like something you'd be interested in."

"Well, actually…" A thought suddenly struck Riku.

_New Keyblades! She'll go nuts! A blade of her own instead of Sora's old one…how much does this guy know? Probably best to just play dumb._

"That does sound like a good idea, sir; I'll take a look at these." Riku scanned the rack as the salesman left, and soon he caught what seemed like a good keychain. A silver chain ended with a ruby diamond surrounding an orangey flame that looked like it had been made with Fire Crystals. It wasn't long before Riku had shown the keychain to Olette, gotten her seal of approval and paid for the present, forcing Olette to reluctantly leave the store.

"Now that's what I call dumb luck," Riku said as he left. "They just happened to be selling the perfect gift for Kairi right there…"

"I know! Why'd you have to be so quick about it? I wanted to stay in here!" Olette complained. Of course she was ignored, and so she fumed all the way back to Yen Sid's castle.

* * *

Being as intelligent as he was, Yen Sid had not forgotten Kairi's birthday and had planned a small party for the occasion. Naturally Kairi was quite pleased at this, and after a magically conjured feast and gifts from Yen Sid and the Guardians, she opened the small box with Riku's present inside.

"Oh, wow!" Kairi held the chain in her hand, looking at it from every possible angle, impressed with the chain's beauty.

"Well, come on! Let's see the blade!" Riku said excitedly. The Guardians picked up on his enthusiasm, and Kairi brought out her Keyblade willingly. Her hand went to her current keychain, ready to remove it—but she paused.

_I made an oath to Sora…why does it feel like I'm betraying him if I take it off? I know it's just a keychain, but still…well, I have to make them happy; I guess._

Reluctantly she took the star-shaped pendant off of her sword, adding the new one in its place. Immediately a sword of ruby red and dark grey with a blade like a flame and a hand guard like a diamond took its place, and Kairi instinctively knew the name: Heart of the Flame.

She heard ooh's and aah's from her friends and knew she had to comply, so she focused on her new sword. She had to admit; it was well-crafted and beautiful, and it felt quite natural in her hand. She thanked Riku sincerely, but as the party ended and she returned to her room, she put her old keychain back on.

_I can't forget about Sora…I'm still fighting for him. It just doesn't seem right…_

_My oath still holds true, Sora._

_­­_

* * *

A few slow days passed before Yen Sid told the Keybladers that they had learned all that he could teach them; the rest would have to come in the battles that inevitably would come. He called them into his office for one last word of advice, and they came promptly after saying farewell to the Guardians.

"Well, it's safe to say the past few weeks have been eventful," he began nonchalantly. "It was quite difficult at the start, but you seemed to have improved your magical skills, and that was all I wanted to see. You could hold your own against Ruxik and Maleficent…but that doesn't mean it will be easy. You do have the aids of some ancient powers of course. Kairi, make sure you listen to every word, every thought you hear from the Princesses—they are older and wiser, and they will never lead you astray. The day you betray them will be costly for you and every other servant of light."

"I'll never go against them, Master," Kairi replied immediately. "You weren't there at the Coronation…that's not something I'll easily forget."

Yen Sid nodded gravely. "Your enthusiasm is quite reassuring." His stoic face hid the fearful thought that passed through his mind. _She says this now…I can only hope she doesn't change her mind._ To divert his attention, he looked to Riku.

"As for you…having an old Keyblader inhabit you is not a rare occurrence. The fact that I cannot seem to pinpoint who it is does cause me some concern. I cannot tell you to trust him as far as Kairi and the Princesses, but I trust your judgment. Should he tell you something you believe would cause harm to the servants of light, you must rebel; there have been cases of fell Keybladers possessing pure ones of later generations. You must tell me if you find this to be the case. On a slightly different note I want you to take this." With a wave of his wand a small wooden key appeared in Riku's hand. "No, this is not for your Keyblade; it is a way of entry into my library. Tap the key thrice and you will find yourself in my library. You seemed quite taken with it, and who says Kairi should be the only one to receive a gift today?"

"Thank you, Master." Riku looked reverently at the key before slowly putting it in his pocket.

Yen Sid nodded. "With that I can send you off. I shall make a portal to save you some time—you have your belongings?" With a nod from the Keybladers the old man waved his wand, and a bright portal appeared. "Until we meet again."

Riku and Kairi returned the farewell as they stepped through the portal. A rush of wind and light forced them to close their eyes. Kairi let out a sigh over the sound of the wind. "I miss the shore so much…I can't wait to be back home!"

The swirl of darker color grew in the blur of white until it was obvious that the Destiny Islands were near. The light and wind faded, revealing the islands the two called home.

However this was far from the home they knew.

No white sand and green palm leaves greeted their eyes; the ground was black and rocky, and the trees cast twisted, ominous shadows. No waves crashed rhythmically on the shore; a violent storm was brewing under a darkened sky. There were no signs of civilization, only scattered planks and driftwood. It must have been midday for the sun still shone, but it seemed pitifully weak and out of place in this twisted, hellish landscape.

Riku was shocked at this horrible display. "What…how did this happen?!"

Kairi too was devastated. She stood with mouth agape, taking in the horrible imitation of her adopted home. Suddenly she felt a slight tremor and a murmur of fearful Princesses. "There are Heartless here…lots of them."

"I could have guessed that much," Riku said through gritted teeth. "And I'm willing to bet that these are Ruxik's Heartless. That little--" A choked sob interrupted his angry thoughts. "What's wrong?" He turned to Kairi, and seeing her obvious grief, he ran to her side.

She was on her knees next to a rocky crevasse that had formed in what had once been the shore. Riku looked into the crevasse and with a shock realized that Sora's casket was within. He focused on the casket and with another shock realized that the casket had been opened; it was still slightly ajar. Finally he looked to Kairi, and his shock turned to burning rage. Kairi held a silver necklace with a crown-shaped stone.

Sora's necklace.

"No. They didn't. He didn't…" Riku summoned his Keyblade, and it burst into flame instantly. With gritted teeth he charged at a Shadow that had been foolhardy enough to make itself visible. In the blink of an eye the Heartless was no more, and Riku was panting like an animal. In blind rage he looked towards the darkened sky.

"Ruxik! This is it! I swear to you, _you will die at my hands!_"

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the massive delay! Hope you liked it, and I always appreciate reviews!_


	24. Darythas

__

A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself and RikuLover211 for reviewing, thanks to LordxxAxelxxLover for the story alert add, and thanks to RikuLover211 for the favorite story add!

_I only own my OCs. And it's been quite a while since I had a song quote…how about some of the ever-incredible Thrice? On with the story!_

_And when we couldn't stop the bleeding_

_We held our hearts over the flame_

_We couldn't help but call it treason_

_After that we couldn't fill our frames…_

_In summers past we challenged fate_

_With higher pitch and perfect aim_

_And standing fast, we'd radiate_

_A light we loved but never named_

_But the answers never came_

_And our shadows never looked the same!_

**Thrice-"All That's Left"**

**XXIV. Darythas**

A haze of red clouded Riku's vision as he stormed around what had once been his home. Like an animal he hunted down droves of Heartless and tore them apart with his flaming Keyblade. Shadows, Soldiers, Invisibles, Angels…nothing could stop his furious rage.

_That freak…he took Sora's body…who does he think he is? I'll show him…I'll kill every last Heartless here! They deserve nothing less…_

He stabbed his Keyblade into the torso of a Shadow and spun around, slaying three more. With every dead Heartless his rage increased, and soon the beasts fell like chaff. A loud screeching sound filled the air, and Riku saw more powerful Heartless come; six Behemoths surrounded him and starting casting spheres of dark energy at upon him. With an animal's howl he thrust his Keyblade into the ground, and black fire ripped through the ground and engulfed the Behemoths, and soon they disappeared, allowing Riku to continue his relentless attack. He continued destroying every Heartless that came at him until he could no longer see. Thinking the Heartless had overcome him, he began to flail wildly until he found no resistance. He slowed his motions and realized the darkened sun had no disappeared completely, and he was completely exhausted; his tirade had lasted until sundown.

_I can't kill what I can't see…why is there no light from my Keyblade?_ He put his hand on his blade and was shocked to feel a bitter cold instead of the warmth of his blade's normal flame.

_What's wrong? Is this some Heartless trick?_

_No. The Fire of Wrath only comes to the wrathful. The Fire of Vengeance comes to the vengeful. Surely you know what that little tantrum just was. _

_Who are you? And why are you in my head?_

_If I answer the first question, the second will be answered as well…but that is a vague question. Do you want my name or some description?_

_Both._

The strange voice sighed (it was quite a strange sensation; Riku felt as though there was a hole in his head and wind had just blown through it). _My name is Darythas. I am the Keyblader that possessed you when Omegasis arrived._

_Get out of me! _Riku's rage immediately flared.

_What?_

_This _is_ a Heartless trick. They're bringing up some dark Keyblader to haunt me…no! GET OUT OF ME!_

_Calm down, you fool! I am here to aid you—getting rid of me will spell your doom and the Princess's!_

_Lies! You can't be trusted! _Riku pointed his Keyblade at his stomach.

_What are you doing?! Think—I'm naught but a spirit! What will you accomplish by stabbing yourself? You will be food for the vultures, and then Ruxik will slay the Princess!_

Riku relaxed his Keyblade. _How do you know?_

_Is it not obvious? He wants her for some dark scheme—I know not what, but it cannot end well. Ever since Sora's death…_

Riku's blood began to boil. _Don't remind me about what they did…_

_That was a truly heinous act. But by running rampant and slaying Heartless, you will solve nothing. Ruxik is the target, but you cannot take him alone. You need to help the Princess._

_How can I trust your advice?_

_If you truly think your current plan will solve your problems, please continue. But I have seen similar problems in my time…and that is why I came back. Should another Keyblader make my mistakes…the worlds may not survive. _

Your_ mistakes? _

_Ah, nothing gets by you…my tale is a long one, and one with which you may not be entirely unfamiliar. _

_Ok, but can you be out of my body for a bit? I want to at least be able to see who I'm talking to._

_Fair enough. _Riku felt a violent shudder and a cold sensation run down his body as Darythas left him. Soon a spectral form appeared; he was tall and muscular with long black hair and scars across his otherwise handsome face. He wore simple dark blue, worn shirts and pants in a style that looked centuries old.

"Ah, it has been many years since I have had a physical form," he said, his voice as grizzled and battle-scarred as he appeared. He looked to Riku analytically and nodded slightly. "You have that aura about you; you do deserve your blade. You seem to have a strong sense of justice and wrath…compassion and purity, however…hmm. Those could use work."

"Is this a test?" Riku asked, somewhat confused.

"Have you not heard of the Facets of the Heart?" Darythas exclaimed. "Well, you are yet young, I suppose. To be brief, the pure heart must have four key components: Justice, Wrath, Compassion and Purity; contrastingly the evil heart has Vengeance, Rage, Hatred and Lust, and of course Grief is a neutral facet. Your powers will be limited until you can be strong in all four; of course only the Princesses can reach perfection in all of them, but the more you strive, the more powerful of a Keyblader you will be. And I would not tell you that if I did not believe you had the capacity to use your power wisely. I have seen your memories of battles past…and it seems as though your own past is holding you back."

Riku was silent for a moment. "How can I have compassion when the only one I ever loved only loves my best friend? How can I be pure when I craved her for so long?"

"Forgiveness is readily given to those who recognize their own flaws; otherwise I would not have been blessed with the chance to warn future Keybladers of my mistakes. There was a reason I was chosen to inhabit you; you and I are very much alike. We were both given the gift at a young age; we share the desire to explore and to gain knowledge; even our blades are similar." Here Darythas waved his hand, and a Keyblade much like Riku's appeared. "In my language it is called _Ylihra anm Zorynya_—Path of the Dawn. And of course we share a record of unrequited love—and the necessary consequences."

Darythas sat on a large slab of rock; the younger Keyblader sat on one nearby. "If you had not guessed, I am of the Aexyrthan race. It was my race that created the Keyblades when the worlds were young, and the cloud of the shadow was ever growing. Some brave and brilliant souls used powerful magic to create swords powered by the strength of the four Facets in the bearer's heart, and they used them to slay great titans of the darkness. They were great heroes and were always honored in the legends of my people. Their swords received equal honor, and when it was found that the blades disappear upon the death of their bearer, my people were shocked and terrified—especially when the darkness came back. Then we discovered that others were selected to bear the blades, and so it continued for many a generation.

"By the time I was a boy not much younger than you, becoming a Keyblade bearer was a great honor. As soon as one of the Keyblades was found in new hands, the bearer would undergo a religious ceremony to prepare him for his task and then attend a huge banquet in his honor. I was one of the blessed ones who received the blade, and so I attended the ceremony. I swore to live by the Facets of the pure heart and to fight the darkness with every ounce of power I had; what other choice did I have? The Keyblades were only given to the pure of heart; I could not dishonor their past bearers."

"The banquet was not long after; and it was…I believe you would call it a 'big deal'. Everyone was in their most beautiful attire, and of course there was dancing. And there was one girl there…" Here Darythas broke his reverie with a deep sigh and silence for some time. "I can assume you see where this is headed. Her name was Naïrle, and she was absolutely beautiful. I had had feelings for her for quite some time, and at this night I could not imagine why every other female in the room would not bow down before her beauty. I asked her to dance, and she accepted. I was so completely blissful that night; and in my vanity I thought she had the same feelings for me as I did for her. I thought she held me tighter, smiled at me differently than everyone else…I began to think we belonged together. Predictably I was wrong. She had her heart set on someone else—a fellow Keyblade bearer named Gartalys."

"I was devastated by this knowledge; every day I saw those two together I felt sick at heart. Soon I became overwhelmed with grief, and my entire village was concerned. Gartalys handled it in the best possible way; he would treat me like his closest friend and avoid the topic as well as he could, but I was too furious to accept it. Eventually the constant stress of our lives wore on Naïrle who hated to see anyone in pain, and her stress too became grief. About a year went by; her condition only worsened, and the tension between me and Gartalys grew greater. My grief became lust, and I schemed of ways to have Naïrle for my own. I could not kill Gartalys; the village would soon know and disown me, and how could a Keyblader attack one of his own? But then a solution came to me: if I could expose some flaw of Gartalys to Naïrle, surely her purer heart would be swayed towards me.

"The problem here was that Gartalys was virtually flawless. He was a model of all of the Facets, so I resorted to drastic measures. About this time we Aexyrthani began to encounter Heartless with human bodies, some of them quite crafty and masters of disguise. Gartalys and I were told to wipe out a group of Heartless in a nearby forest, and after doing so, we rested for the night. I was restless, and I saw someone walk into my tent. I grabbed my Keyblade, but the figure raised its arms, and I put my blade down. I saw that she was a humanoid Heartless, and I was ready to slay her—but then she spoke in a voice like honey.

"Don't attack me; I merely wish to offer you help," she said seductively. Her voice was more potent when combined with her figure; she was thin and pale with short but thick black fur covering her body like a tight garment, and her long hair was the color of ravens—she had a terrible, dark beauty.

"How can I trust the likes of you?" I growled, trying to ward off temptation.

"What if I told you I could win you the girl's heart?"

And from there I heard her plan; she promised to give Gartalys a flaw. Blinded by my lust I agreed to her plan; in return I had to promise to make her a keychain. I thought this a small price to pay; I could easily make a weak keychain (my race was one of skilled craftsmen). And so I waited to hear of Gartalys's fall; it was dawn when my wait was over. I went to his tent to wake him and found the female Heartless in his bed with him, and I nearly shouted with glee. Gartalys was still asleep, and when he awoke he was truly shocked, but I did not tell the villagers that upon our return. Despite all of his fervent denials the village pronounced him guilty, and he was killed for treason. I did not plan his death, but it made no difference to me; as soon as Naïrle had recovered from her grief, I could make my move." Here Darythas's voice grew quieter and lower; the grief was clearly impacting him.

"Clinging to the last shred of honor left in me, I kept my word and made a weak Keychain for the Heartless, and I met her in the forest some days after. The transaction was made, and in a few years, I married Naïrle; she still did not suspect a thing. All the while my image as a model Keyblader was maintained; I grieved no longer, and so the people knew of no flaws of mine.

"As you have probably predicted, my actions came back to haunt me. Soon the Heartless who received my Keychain was raiding the villages with a Keyblade. I had assumed the weak Keychain would cripple the Heartless; they merely found how the Keychains worked and used the magic within to create more powerful blades. Now our only advantage was lost; it took some miraculous magic from Naïrle to save us from destruction. It was only at this point that I discovered she was a Princess of Heart; we had little knowledge of the Princesses at this time. The Justice in her heart prompted her to probe my own. Years went by, and I did everything in my power to avoid what I had done to Gartalys. But within my dead heart a spark of guilt spread, and soon I confessed to my wife in agony. She was terribly grieved by my transgressions, for she knew I must die for treason. However since I was her husband, she ignored her regal instincts and spared me. This was a terrible mistake. The Heartless raided the village once more; this time they targeted me specifically."

Darythas choked back a sob, and Riku realized he was leaning forward from his seat on the rock; he sat back as inconspicuously as he could as the elder Keyblader continued. "That was the day I died…my whole village was wiped out. Yes, even Naïrle fell…and the Princesses did not intervene. I was plagued with guilt as I passed into the afterlife; I knew I was doomed. Yet I did not pass into hell; I was deemed to wander the earth, for my remorse saved me from eternal suffering. I was told to give proof of my remorse, and I decided the most fitting way was to save future Keybladers from making my mistakes. So…my task seems near completion."

Riku struggled to form coherent thoughts. The story had sounded very similar to the terrible misdeeds he had done to Kairi; this much was true. But why had this old Keyblader told this story? His mind raced and came up empty. "So…why tell me this?"

"Three reasons I have; one is so that you do not fall back to the patterns of your past. Another is to remind you that you cannot let what you did control what you now do. A third and possibly most important reason is that I see something similar working in your Nobody. You may not be the target, and he may use different methods than the Heartless I met, but like you he has a cunning mind. He will try to make you and the Princess meet your demises at your own hands in ways you will never suspect. If I had to guess I would think that killing Sora was part of a much larger scheme."

Riku nodded. "I never fully understood why he did it…I'd think you wouldn't just kill a Keyblader unprovoked unless it was …me. Why Sora?"

"Exactly. Unfortunately my mind is nowhere near as sharp as yours…I have no more advice to offer except this: the Princess needs you, and you are not doing her any good over here."

Riku stood and stretched. "Right." With that he walked back the way he had come, and Darythas entered his body once again.

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are always appreciated!_


	25. Cracks in the Wall

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself for reviewing! Also thanks to Emporer of Hearts1 for the favorite story add!_

_I own only my OCs, nothing more…on with the story!_

**XXV. Cracks in the Wall**

A brunette in a red t-shirt and blue shorts knelt by an empty casket. That was the only thing Kairi knew for sure. She had remained motionless until sundown when her body could no longer handle the physical strain of such deep grief. She finally forced her aching legs to stand, and she took in the bleak, shattered world around her and found her own life strangely similar. She normally wasn't one to be melodramatic; she had prided herself on her plucky spirit and ability to rise above petty drama. But Sora's death had brought the spirit back down to earth, and this…this was the breaking point.

_How could they? How could they take his body? What will they do? Why does this keep happening to me? Every time I've gotten over him, something like this has to happen…_

A striking observation broke through her haze of grief—Riku was not there. She looked more closely, but she could only find the traces of footprints heading away from her.

_Oh great, now Riku's left? Why is this happening to me? _

_Oh, shut up already. You know Riku's got a good reason for whatever he's doing._

_Some help you are, Naminé._

_You need a bit of a slap in the face at this point, don't you think?_

_This is how you treat the grieving?_

_…I think it's time to be visible. _Kairi shuddered as Naminé left her body. Even in her emotional state, Kairi noticed a change in her Nobody—she seemed flustered and angry, and her perfectly composed, almost angelic appearance had disappeared. Kairi was taken aback; she realized that she had never seen Naminé angry before.

"Ok, let me set this straight—I know they took Sora's body. I know you miss him; I know how close you two were—remember that kid Roxas? But you can't go moaning that the world hates you. There's work to be done. You're the Keyblade Master and a Princess of Heart."

"So I'm supposed to have no feelings for the people I love? I'm supposed to be caring, remember? I think this is pretty caring."

"That's not caring; that's obsession." Kairi opened her mouth to protest, but Naminé raised her hand to silence her. "Think about it. Before this whole war kicked up, he was constantly on your mind. You wouldn't take off your Keychain and get a more powerful blade just because of sentimental value…so you've basically just decided that the worlds are less important than your relationship."

Kairi was outraged. "You don't understand! I swore an oath to bring him back—this chain is a symbol of that!"

Naminé laughed harshly. "Like you need a reminder…"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! YOU'RE A NOBODY!"

This outburst of rage had hardly any effect on Naminé. "But I'm one of the weird ones with a heart, remember? And I've been inside your mind. I know exactly how hard this is for you… which is why you need to take your mind off of it. Go tear up some Heartless and help out ol' Riku." She flipped her hair casually, as if she and Kairi were having a good time, and the mood seemed to lighten drastically "Look, alright, I'm harsh; I'm a realist. I say things I shouldn't. But relax, okay? I don't want to lose you too…but I'm not going to hang around if you start getting too insane. But I like it here. So don't go insane."

Something in her words relaxed Kairi from rage to sadness, and she broke down in tears. Naminé, ever moved by tears, embraced her comfortingly, and the pair stood silently for some time. Eventually the embrace was broken, and Kairi wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I just need some quiet…can you get back in my body, Naminé?" she asked, smiling at the innuendo. Naminé laughed and obliged with a nod. With that Kairi set off for her favorite place to be alone and quiet: the docks. The sea had a way of calming her. Of course the docks were mostly ruined by whatever force had possessed the island, but there was still a bit she could sit on. She looked out over the waves and saw a storm raging (the constant lightning allowed her to see fairly well), and yet the water still calmed her; no matter how furious the waves were, they had a majestic, calming aura about them. She tried to calm her mind and think (even Naminé was silent when Kairi needed these times), but the terrible mockery of the island she called home still stared back at her, tearing her mind away.

In this cacophony of senses she heard a voice break in her mind. Kairi frowned a bit even though she knew the culprit couldn't see her. _Naminé, I kinda need some calm here…_

_That was definitely not me._

_Oh. Great. Wait…that sounds like…Jysilia!_

_Jiwho?_

_Oh, she's a Princess…oh yeah, you weren't there. But you've seen that memory, no?_

_That doesn't mean I remember everything. I just liked the dresses._

Kairi rolled her eyes.

_Ah, to be young and to banter as such! You have an excellent connection with your Nobody, young Kairi. _

_Oh, hello, Jysilia. What's happening? Do I have to be crowned again?_

The eldest Princess laughed gently. _No, there are to be no coronations today. My task this time is far graver. I must warn you of the dangers you will be facing besides the obvious. Since you slew Omegasis, you were far from darkness, but the time you spent allowed the darkness to gain a foothold on your home world as you see here. _Kairi lifted her eyes briefly to the desolate wasteland around her as Jysilia continued.

_There is no denying that they have committed a heinous act. But remember this; the darkness could be trying to manipulate you. Your grief may lead you to acts as heinous as what has been committed here. Remember the oath you swore; the road the darkness presents is always the worst possible path for you and those you love. _

_So you're saying I have to be a robot? I'm sorry, Jysilia, I can't just forget that I loved him._

_Did I say such a thing? If so I misspoke gravely. I only hope your grief does not make you forget the task for which you were made. I had to step in when you conversed with your Nobody; we do have the ability to slightly affect the emotions of fellow Princesses. Without my intervention I fear you may have done something you would later regret and that your Nobody would not appreciate._

_Like eat me? I kinda thought that would happen, _Naminé chimed in.

_Naminé… _Kairi did her best to mentally express her distaste.

_Sorry._

Jysilia spoke once more. _And this reminds me; do not forget the importance of your Nobody. Yours is a unique situation; you are the first (and likely the last) Princess of Heart with a Nobody. This gives you a power which even we Princesses cannot give. However abusing this power or ignoring her may cause great harm to both of you. I cannot imagine how Ruxik and his ilk may use this advantage against you, but I am sure that he will do so._

_Understood_, Kairi and Naminé replied in unison.

_Well, that is my message. Is there anything for which you need my help?_

_Nah, I've got it covered,_ Naminé replied.

_Be careful, Nobody. Should you need my help, only Kairi can summon me; technically you are not a Princess and therefore cannot share in the Princess's powers. _

_I do have a name, you know…_

_My apologies, Naminé—I have not yet encountered a Nobody with a name. _

_Oh. Fair enough._

_In any case I must be off. Farewell, Princess Kairi! Farewell, Naminé!_

Kairi and Naminé replied appropriately as the Princess left.

_So now what? _Kairi asked. _I totally forget what I was going to do…_

_Find Riku?_

_Oh yeah, that works._

* * *

Maleficent smirked in evil glee. "The young Princess may have just revealed the weakness Jysilia mentioned—I'm starting to think this plan might be even easier than you imagined." She looked at her master (the very word made her grimace until she realized that Ruxik could see her expression) and saw his obvious pleasure as he lifted his eyes from the crystal ball.

"Oh, the goal is obvious; but the methods…" Ruxik began to pace and was silent for a few moments. "I think we need a little more time. If we do take action, it must be subtle. Perhaps this would make a better final straw—let's weaken her in battle first. I still have Heartless and Nobodies waiting for my command; those fools have no idea of what has really happened here."

"Fair enough…so what about the mouse? He still lives. Eliminating him removes a source of help for the Keybladers."

Ruxik stopped his pacing to look at Maleficent. "He's also the most knowledgeable of the Keybladers, and I think he has some powers he hasn't shown yet. Kairi may be the Keyblade Master, but I think Mickey poses more of a threat. I'll wait until the other two fall before I slay him."

"Who is to say the other Keyblades will not find new masters?" Maleficent queried. Ruxik didn't notice, but this was a desperate attempt to change the subject; Maleficent wanted nothing more than to see King Mickey fall so she could take Disney Castle as her own. The Cornerstone of Light could be an incredible weapon should it become fully given to darkness…but Maleficent could not consider such things. _I have to be a good little underling…oh, I do hope those brats fall soon._

"Ha! That's the least of my concerns. All I must do is get rid of one, and the rest will fall like dominoes. When my plan is complete, I will have a power that the worlds have never known and will never know again. Speaking of which…those idiots never did anything with the Master Forge; did they?"

"To my knowledge…Yen Sid probably hid it again when he restored his tower that you destroyed."

Ruxik snorted angrily. "Well, that's nothing a little forgery won't solve. I had completely forgotten about that building until just now…oh, well. I have some time to burn. You can command the Heartless should they actually need any commands." He conjured a portal before he heard a strange rumbling sound.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes…" The old witch was baffled. "To be completely honest I have no idea what that could have been."

Ruxik ran up to the Altar of Naught and looked far across the city. A strange light had appeared; the black sky now had a streak of silver. The rumbling seemed to be coming from this streak… _No matter. Whatever it is, it probably doesn't pose a threat._

* * *

Kairi spent a few hours hacking through the Heartless in her way as she tried to follow Riku's footprints by the light of Firaga spells. It was difficult to navigate through the rocky wasteland, but she was able to make progress. However the fact that she had not found Riku was disappointing, and disappointment became frustration.

"Riku! Where the heck are you?!" Kairi shouted as she slashed an Invisible.

"I'm right…argh!" a familiar voice shouted. Confused, Kairi cast Firaga again—the flame had died out a few minutes ago.

"Oh…that wasn't an Invisible…"

"No, that was a Riku," her fellow Keyblader replied before casting Curaga on himself. "You feeling okay?"

"Well, I'm still ticked at whoever did…that," Kairi replied. "But, hey, we got Heartless to destroy…I guess I just need time with my mind off of it."

Riku nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Oh, by the way you're not the only one with someone inhabiting them…say hello to Darythas." With a shudder he allowed Darythas outside of his body, and the elder Keyblade bearer bowed respectfully.

"Hello, Princess—I am Darythas. 'Tis an honor to serve you."

"Hello, Darythas…and don't worry, I'm just as honored to work with another Keyblade bearer. I know I don't know what I'm doing…couldn't hurt to have another voice of reason."

Darythas chuckled. "Believe me; you know not all of your capabilities. Never doubt yourself, Princess." With that he returned to Riku's body.

Riku sighed to break the silence that followed. "So…anyone got a plan?"

"Find their leader."

"Any ideas how to get to it?"

"Just kill off as many as we can along the way."

Riku sighed again. "They didn't make you Keyblade Master for your brains…but I don't have any better ideas."

Kairi laughed as she brandished her blade. "Alright then, let's go."

* * *

_A/N: The box may have changed, but reviews still work the same way…and they're always appreciated!_


	26. Gathering Clouds

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A/N: Thanks to the ever-loyal singintoyourself and japaneserockergirl for reviewing!

_I own my OCs only, Square Enix and Disney own the rest. The lyrics are from "Medisin" by The Classic Crime. And I apologize for any sloppy formatting--I'm not a big fan of the site's new editor...and I really don't feel like messing with the HTML for an hour._

_Hope you had/are having a Merry Christmas / Happy Hannukah/ Happy Kwanzaa and will have a Happy New Year! Now, on with the story!_

**XXVI. Gathering Clouds**

_What great risk to truly live;_

_We could die alone._

_Our self-proclaimed meaning of bliss is getting what we're owed…_

_I am like a machine; all that I really need is medicine_

_And then I'll fall fast asleep_

_In my dreamlike state I'll pretend I'm unscathed,_

_But when I wake up my resilience fades._

Yen Sid found himself in his library, poring over dusty volumes as he searched for…anything. Keybladers had fallen before, but they had never produced a Nobody and then tried to conquer it—Riku was the first to return to light as far as the old man knew. Still the chance existed that there was another like Riku, and so Yen Sid searched.

He remained mostly silent for hours, only breaking the silence with mutterings of the books' failures to teach him. _Surely in the thousands of Keybladers, one had to have a situation like Riku's…_ He pulled out a volume entitled The Fallen Keybladers and began to search it, stopping at the name Darythas. His story looked eerily familiar to Riku's, but there was no sign that Darythas truly repented of his crimes, and he never had a Nobody. His deeds may have been just as heinous as Riku's, but he never let a Heartless embody him; he only allowed it to twist his way. _Perhaps he may be the old Keyblader within Riku…I must contact him about it._

A knock on his library door broke his reverie. "Come in," he said coolly. In walked one of his apprentices.

"A letter has arrived for you, Master," the young boy said with a respectful bow.

"From whom?"

"Riku."

The old man's eyes lit up as he quickly grabbed the envelope and tapped it with his wand, opening it cleanly. He read the letter quickly.

_Dear Master Yen Sid,_

_Kairi and I are back on the Destiny Islands, but Ruxik's overrun the place with Heartless—we don't know how well we can handle it. We need the Master Forge as soon as possible so we can get some stronger Keyblades. Thanks in advance._

_Sincerely,_

_Riku_

Yen Sid slapped his forehead in frustration. In the chaos that came with Ruxik destroying his tower he had completely forgotten about the forge. Thanking his apprentice, he left his tower and cast the spell to bring up the forge.

_How could I have made such a stupid mistake? They could have such power at their disposal…_The Forge appeared from its underground hiding place, and with another spell the old man sent it to the Destiny Islands.

With that Yen Sid turned to return to his castle, he heard energetic footsteps behind him. Turning quickly, he raised his wand defensively until he saw who had been pursuing him. "Your Majesty, it is good to see you."

King Mickey slowed to a walk as he panted from exertion. "Same to you, Master. Have you seen what happened over The World That Never Was?"

Yen Sid frowned, his eyebrows nearly meeting. "I was not aware of anything happening there."

King Mickey seemed shocked by this. "I don't know what it is, but it doesn't look too good…and it's here too!" He pointed skyward, and Yen Sid followed his finger. He saw a streak of silver across the twilit sky.

The magician frowned more deeply. "I can only wonder…I shall research this."

"None of the books in my castle told me anything," the King answered. "That's why I'm here."

"Nonetheless perhaps I may find something," Yen Sid said. "You may aid me in my search if you wish. However if we find nothing we may have to visit that world ourselves."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that—I'm sure Ruxik and Maleficent won't appreciate us being there."

"Never did I say the visit would be easy or safe—but it may be necessary. These are strange times, Mickey. Many recent events have not occurred in history until now. A Princess of Heart with a Keyblade, a fallen Keyblader returning to light to fight his fell Nobody…who knows what may happen to us in these times?" On that solemn note both king and wizard entered the castle and began to hunt for books that might offer some help.

* * *

About two hours of hacking and slashing had passed for the Keybladers on the Destiny Islands. The voyage was far from easy; the trees that had remained from the world's transformation now made a dark jungle overgrown with thorns and poisonous plants. No light passed through the roof of barren branches; only regular Firaga spells allowed the pair to see. Killing Heartless in the way broke up the monotony of the silent trek, but it also tired out the Keybladers more quickly.

Some of the Heartless noted this fatigue, and when the Keybladers found themselves blocked by a particularly dense thorn bush, they attacked. Dozens of Invisibles, Angel Stars, Neoshadows, Behemoths…the Heartless spared nothing.

"This is _not _the time!" Kairi half-snarled through clenched teeth.

"Did you think they'd only attack when it was convenient for us?" Riku replied as he started slashing an Invisible. "Don't give up now; we're not safe here. Just think about Sora!"

That pulled the trigger. Kairi immediately eliminated a Neoshadow with one clean stab and used her momentum to jump and kill two Angel Stars in midair, finishing with a Thundaga.

"Nice work!" Riku said as he unleashed a spinning slash on a Behemoth's horn. The beast fell with an agonized whine, and Riku slid down the beast's head off its horn, impaling an Invisible with a stab on the way. Suddenly a dozen Invisibles appeared and surrounded him; Kairi tried to intervene with a Graviga, but a swarm of Neoshadows and Wyverns occupied her.

"Well, you guys don't like making it easy, do you?" Riku said sarcastically. With that he unleashed a primordial growl and cleaved an Invisible in half, using his momentum to finish off two more. He felt a rush of wind behind him and deftly threw his Keyblade behind him, catching the Invisible that had tried to sneak up on him. The blade stuck in the beast's hide, but he finished it off by pulling it back out. Suddenly a ring of hovering flames appeared around him; he sprinted to another foe and jumped off its chest just as the flames enclosed disappeared; the Invisible's curse ended up finishing off one of its own. Similarly acrobatic swordplay wiped out the remaining Invisibles, but before Riku could gloat, he saw twenty more replace them.

With a sigh he looked to Kairi. "How're you holding up?"

"Still alive," she called back, throwing her Keyblade into an Angel Star's torso. Riku's eye followed the blade and realized it was Oathkeeper. _What happened to Heart of the Flame? I thought she liked it…_ His reverie was broken as Kairi continued to speak. "But they don't stop coming!"

"Tell me about it," Riku called back. He deftly slew a few more Invisibles, and Kairi's magic took out a few more Heartless, but the beasts kept coming. Soon the Keybladers found themselves pushed back by a wall of Heartless until Kairi felt a thorn prick her skin.

"Um, I don't think we're moving back any further," she told Riku, clearly nervous.

"You want to make a break for it?"

"They'll just follow. Heartless don't retreat."

"Good point. So want to try some of Yen Sid's new tricks then?"

"What, an Ultima spell?"

"That's what I was thinking."

"Alright then." Kairi took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves; if she let out the spell in a burst of emotion, she might relive what had happened at Olette's apartment. Focus however came very slowly when the Heartless kept advancing; the grating squeals and hisses of Heartless-tongue kept shattering her focus.

"Riku…I can't do it-- I can't focus with them squealing!"

"Let me push them back a bit," Riku offered, cool-headed. He whipped out his Keyblade and levitated a few feet, shouting "Ragnarok!" A blast of light emanated from the tip of his sword, and a few waves of Heartless fell back.

"Quick! Go!" Riku shouted. Kairi quickly tried to calm her nerves, and suddenly everything seemed to fall into place. The spell was ready.

"**ULTIMA THUNDAGA!**" Kairi braced herself for the binding lights and deafening crackle of electricity that came with the spell…and none came.

"What?! No! Ultima Thundaga!" The world remained dark. "Ultima Firaga! Blizzaga! Magnega! ANYTHING!" Kairi was frantic. The Heartless kept advancing, seeing their prey's weakness.

"Kairi?! What's going on?!"

"I don't know…it's just not working!" Kairi was completely panicking by this point. "Riku—help!"

"Alright, I'll cast it; just buy me some time!" Riku shouted, casting a Reflega on himself. Kairi set to slashing the Heartless around her, but adrenaline had overtaken her, counteracting her fighting skills. She tried to cast spells, but her Firaga was only a tiny spark, and her Aeroga felt like a light breeze.

"Riku! Hurry up!" she cried. She plunged her blade into an Invisible—just as it disappeared. In her panicky state, she didn't notice the beast reappear behind her—but she felt its blade at her throat.

"RIKU!"

"**ULTIMA GRAVIGA!"**

Kairi felt a crushing force throw her to the ground. She tried to cast a Reflega but could hardly move, let alone use magic. She could feel the immense pressure on her spine…death felt quite close.

_Well, I guess it's not all bad…I can look forward to Sora, right?_

_Ok, don't go thinking like that…give me a second. _

_Naminé?_

_Duh. Remember, they don't call me a witch for nothing. I've got some of your powers too, you know. _Suddenly Kairi's pain dissipated, and the blinding pain in her spine disappeared

_You're a lifesaver, Naminé._

_Thanks. I know. _

Kairi stood up, looked around, and saw nothing but the barren forest of grayish trees; the Heartless had fallen to Riku's mighty spell. Suddenly she heard him running to her side.

"I saw you fall…are you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks to Naminé…my back's a bit sore though."

"That's nothing I can't fix," Riku replied, casting Curaga. "C'mon, we've got to find some shelter—I don't want that to happen again. That was way too close for comfort."

"Yeah, you're telling me," Kairi replied. With a quick Firaga from Riku the thorns that had blocked the Keybladers' way disappeared. A wave of light nearly blinded them; for so long they had not seen anything like sunlight, and even this blackened sun was better than the blackness only broken by Firagas.

"Excellent! We're almost out!" Riku exclaimed. "Let's go; we've got to find a place."

"Is there really any safe place here?" Kairi asked. "There's nothing to stop the Heartless from coming."

"Yeah, but maybe I can find a place where we can settle down, and we'll keep watches," Riku answered. "It's not going to be fun, but we don't really have a better option. I'll take first shift; you look like you need it."

Normally Kairi would protest at this, but a sudden wave of fatigue hit her; the previous fight had finally caught up with her. "Sounds good to me." They searched for a suitable place and eventually found one—a flat, clear area on a ledge of a mountain made of gray stone. Camp was set so that directly behind the Keybladers was the end of the ledge—Riku thought it a tactical advantage to have their backs protected.

As Kairi tried to settle down to sleep, thoughts raced through her wide-awake mind.

_Why didn't it work? I've done that spell dozens—hundreds of times with Yen Sid. I had it down pat. Could I really have been that distracted? What's wrong with me? I almost got myself killed…if not for Riku who knows what would've happened? _

_This better not happen again._

* * *

The old magician and his former apprentice arrived in The World That Never Was. They looked to the sky for the familiar streak of silver and found it quite easily—it seemed every time they glanced at it, it was noticeably larger and brighter.

"What could it be?" King Mickey asked, baffled.

"I haven't a clue," Yen Sid answered. "And I have the strangest feeling that we're not meant to know."

"That's not going to stop me," the King said with determination. With that he set off into the city, and his old master followed, still bothered by dread.

* * *

Maleficent smirked over her crystal ball. _Whatever that thing in the sky is, it brought the mouse here—and Ruxik isn't here to stop me. I must act quickly; I'm sure he'll be furious if I diverted from my duty. _

_Bah! Forget him. This is personal. The Heartless can't fail—they know their orders. That mouse will be mine._

_

* * *

_

Yen Sid had not been very careful in deciding where the Master Forge would arrive. Thus it was quite easy for Ruxik to find it; it stood out quite obviously in the wasteland he had created.

_Is there a trap? That was too easy._ He cast a few spells and to his shock found nothing. _That doddering fool. He's written their death sentence. I'll have to thank him when I'm finished. _

* * *

­_A/N: Please review! You can call it my belated Christmas present if you like!_


	27. A Memory Best Forgotten

_A/N: Thanks to my ever-loyal fans, singintoyourself and japaneserockergirl for reviewing!_

_Hope you all had a Happy New Year, and no, I did not resolve to write more. But I'll try anyway._

_I own my OCs only. Lyrics are by As Cities Burn._

**XXVII. A Memory Best Forgotten**

_I stand on this  
Where pride has never been and never will  
(The swell of my chest)  
I call this brave, but how dare I call this love  
And not bear my cross to the end?_

**As Cities Burn- "One: Twentyseven"**

Kairi had not been sleeping well, and when she awoke for what felt like the hundredth time tonight, she thought nothing of it. A chill ran down her spine; she blamed this on the new island's bizarre weather. Another shudder threw her into a convulsion—this she could not explain. She convulsed again, banging her leg against her rocky bed, but no one was present to hear her cry of surprise and pain.

_Naminé…what's going on here?_ Kairi waited for a response and found none.

_Naminé?_ _You can't be asleep…_

_I wish I could be_. The reply sounded strained as if Naminé as lifting a heavy weight.

_What?_

_Nothing. I mean it. Nothing._

_Then why do you sound so messed up?_

_There's a whole lot of nothing. _

_What?! _Kairi was baffled.

_I can't explain—it would only hurt you more._

_Naminé, you can tell me anything. I'm technically you, remember?_

The Nobody was silent except for grunts of exertion.

_There are some things even you can never understand, Kairi. And I told you—you can't know. I won't let you suffer the pain of knowing what I'm going through._

_Why can't you tell me? Naminé, is there anything I can do?_

_No. Well…have a short memory._

_What?_

_You are… going to… hate me for what I… have to do now. _Naminé was panting even harder now. _When you think of me…don't remember my last actions. Remember…how I was before._

_You can't leave me, Naminé! What did I do?!_

_It wasn't your fault—I'm needed elsewhere. _Determination seemed to strengthen Naminé's weak voice.

_Who can need you more than me? You're a part of me!_

_You'll find out soon enough. _Naminé stepped out of Kairi and conjured a portal. _Goodbye, Kairi. _She faced the gray swirling mass of her portal and dove in headfirst. Kairi swore she heard her shout, _Roxas!_

Kairi was about to break down and cry, but she hadn't gotten too far before sleep overtook her.

* * *

Several hours passed before Kairi awoke again. She felt much more well-rested this time, and she felt quite happy until she considered the incident with Naminé. _Well, maybe that was a dream. I was in and out of sleep the whole night. I probably mistook a dream for reality. Besides Roxas is dead…can't hurt to check, though. You still there, Naminé?_

There was no answer.

_Naminé, this is not the time to joke around. _

Still her mind was silent.

_…Naminé?_

"Kairi! They're back!"

Kairi let out a sigh. _Here we go again…_ Disregarding the lack of answer, she pulled out her Keyblade and ran down the mountain path until she met up with Riku.

"Do they ever stop?"

"Obviously not," Riku replied, cleaving a Shadow in two. "That could mean we're getting closer, though."

"Hope so," Kairi said as she deflected a slash from a Neoshadow and stabbed it. Hearts lit up the sky as the two tore through the waves of Heartless. Only after several minutes of violent slashing did they realize that they had come to the bottom of the mountain. At about the same time the feeble sun did its best to light up the dark wasteland, and what it revealed made the Keybladers gasp.

As far as their eyes could see, there were Heartless. Shadows and Soldiers crawled frantically around the massive legs of Behemoths, Admirals, Guard Armors, and Stealth Sneaks, and Angel Stars, Invisibles and Wyverns took to the skies. The bloodthirsty howls and grating squeals of the fiends filled the otherwise still air, causing a violent wind to stir.

"You can't be serious!" Kairi exclaimed, dumbfounded. Riku was rendered speechless by this massive show of force for some time but eventually spoke.

"We'll have to give them everything we have…looks like it's time for some more Ultima spells."

"One's not going to cut it…and we only have so much strength, Riku," Kairi said skeptically.

"Simple. I'll launch a spell, we hold them off till we can cast another, repeat as needed. Hopefully we can scare them off that way."

"I really hope you have a better idea."

"Do you?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you."

"Alright then, it looks like we're going for it."

Kairi breathed one slow deep breath. _They never said this would be easy. _She charged behind Riku who was shouting a primal battle cry as Heartless attacked them from all sides.

Above the battle a beam of white light headed skyward and left the world, hidden by the darkness around it.

* * *

King Mickey and his old master were walking the gray streets near The Castle That Never Was with two very different mindsets. Mickey had no fear, only determination. He had wondered constantly what the silver streak in the sky was, and he was coming up empty. Yet something deep in the back of his mind told him that whatever it was, it would help him and the other Keybladers.

Yen Sid was far more cautious. He lacked the mouse's zeal; he tended to fear what he did not understand, and this streak in the sky was utterly baffling. He had once thought something had gone terribly wrong with Kingdom Hearts, but he knew the consequences of such would have been much more immediate and drastic…or would they? Could Ruxik have gone there and stolen a heart? Was that his plan?

Mickey broke his reverie. "Yen Sid! Look! The thing in the sky!" The old man looked and saw that once again the streak had grown. However a flash of white had now joined it; it seemed to be heading for the silver like a comet pulled into orbit. On top of this the silver streak was quivering and shaking as if it was about to erupt something massive.

"Don't ask me what that could be," he replied. "I still cannot shake the feeling that we are meant to leave this place. We know not what may happen."

"Ya know, I'm starting to get that feeling too," King Mickey said, a trace of fear in his voice. "That whole shaking thing…alright, let's head out."

Yen Sid conjured a portal and was about to step in when something broke the world's perpetual silence. "Halt!" His portal shrank into nothingness as he turned around in shock.

"Maleficent!"

The old witch nodded. "And what brings you here?"

Mickey replied simply by pointing upwards. Maleficent followed his gaze and saw the strange events in the sky. "What, that? Who can say what it may be? I only know that we are both here, and I have no intention of letting you leave."

"Maleficent, we have done nothing to provoke this. Let us leave, and we will do no harm to you or anything here," Yen Sid said firmly.

The witch responded with a long, high-pitched cackle. "You think I need a reason to want you two dead? You think me far too noble." With that she waved her scepter and cast a great sphere of black energy. Yen Sid dissipated it easily with a wave of his wand.

Maleficent nodded. "Your reputation does not lie. But can you save your friend?" She cast an even larger sphere at Mickey, but he responded by casting Holy; the black magic disappeared.

For the first time Mickey spoke to the old witch, an expression of righteous rage on his face. "Remember this, Maleficent—whatever happens to you, you brought upon yourself!" Deflecting a slew of magical blasts, he charged.

Maleficent's face bore a hint of a smirk. _And now at last he shall fall._

* * *

The two Keybladers continued frantically cleaving through the path of Heartless. Behemoths and Admirals seemed to fall at their feet. Still the beasts never stopped their relentless attack, so Kairi resorted to more creative tactics. An Invisible and a Wyvern charged her from behind; with one swing she took out the Neoshadow that attacked her from the front, and using her momentum she carried herself onto the Wyvern's back. Casting a Magnega to keep herself steady, she began to rain Thundagas and Gravigas on the unsuspecting Heartless that were swarming Riku.

"Thanks for that!" Riku called. "Keep it up; I'm going to launch a Thundaga!"

Kairi responded by continuing the magical deluge. In a few seconds she heard Riku shout, "**ULTIMA THUNDAGA**!" Immediately Kairi cast a Reflega and silently watched a maelstrom unfold around her. She was blinded for a second as storm clouds blocked out the weakened sun, but then she was nearly blinded again by tremendous flashes of light. Lightning bolts as wide as trees obliterated any Heartless foolish enough to stand near Riku, and the intense heat triggered more lightning. The crackling of the bolts continued for nearly a minute, and whenever Kairi opened her eyes, she could only see electric blue before her eyes were forced shut.

Finally the crackling dissipated, and Kairi cautiously looked around.

The waves of Heartless seemed no smaller. Still legions of the fiends remained.

"You're kidding, right?!" she exclaimed angrily. She jumped off her Wyvern, slashed at it on her way down and used an Aeroga to land safely behind an exhausted Riku. A few quick slashes took out the Heartless that had only now decided the boy who could summon lightning was safe to attack.

"Thanks, Kairi," Riku panted. "Hold them off; that really took a lot out of me."

"Yeah, but it doesn't really show," Kairi said, waving her arm in a sweeping gesture and cleaving a Shadow in two with her other hand.

Riku's eyes widened in shock. "All that for nothing?!" He sighed angrily. "Well, let's see how much a few more spells do."

Some time passed as Riku recovered and Kairi tried to gather the strength for a spell. The Heartless kept coming in waves, and the Keybladers continued to tear them apart. But they lacked one advantage: numbers. Kairi had to constantly battle to keep the fear of exhaustion out of her mind; Curagas could only do so much.

During this mindless period of hacking and slashing, a realization struck Kairi's mind—something was wrong with these Heartless. Their claws and fangs felt real, but…what was it? She stabbed a Neoshadow through its torso, right where its heart would have been were it a true being.

That chain of thought was the key. These Heartless released no hearts when they were destroyed.

"Riku! They're fake!" Kairi shouted. "They don't have any captive hearts!"

Riku had just cast Firaga to finish off a group of Soldiers. He stared at the destroyed beings and saw what Kairi had mentioned; instead of releasing a heart, these Heartless simply faded. Before he could reply, an Invisible swung its dark sword at him, and he responded with a spinning counterattack. To his surprise this Invisible did release a heart.

"Not all of them!" he replied.

"What's going on?!" Kairi cried angrily.

"I don't know, but the fake ones attack us too. Might as well finish them too," Riku replied, equally frustrated. "Can you cast an Ultima spell yet?"

"No, I'm not feeling it yet," Kairi said, hiding her confusion. She had always been a better magician than Riku; even when they were training with Yen Sid, she had picked up on the spells much more quickly. What was happening here?

Riku shrugged. "Just let me know." And so the two continued to try to cleave a path through the Heartless, fighting through the wasteland that had once been their home. At one point a Neoshadow knocked Riku on his back on the rocky ground; the lack of the white sand to cushion his fall only made angered him further.

An hour of this monotony passed; to the Keybladers it was an age. Finally they saw the mountain where they had slept was fading into the distance; they had made definite progress. More of the Heartless held hearts, and Kairi began to hope that they were nearing the end.

Her hopes were confirmed when they slew one last squadron of Soldiers and Admirals and found three lone forms hovering above the ground. They had the black bodies and gray, notched swords of Invisibles, but they had four arms each, the white wings of Angel Stars, the gray horns of Behemoths and the shape of a heart cut out of their torso,

"Fallen Angels," Riku said in a mixture of awe and fear. "I saw a picture in Yen Sid's library."

"Nerd."

"Oh, Kairi, you and your sense of humor…"

Riku and Kairi drew their Keyblades, ready to finally end the hours of mindless fighting. Two of the Fallen Angels drew their swords as well (each bore four blades), yet one stood motionless. This Angel made a gesture with his upper-left arm and a guttural croak, and the two other Angels turned to face their leader.

This fiend had kept one arm behind his back, hidden in his massive wings. Slowly he brought his hand into view, and it held no sword.

Instead it held a grotesque mockery of a human being.

All over its skin were black tattoo-esque markings. Most of its clothing remained on its body, but it was torn and ragged; the shirt had been ripped at the neck down to the navel, revealing a strange design around the chest; the markings ended in a perfect circle surrounding the heart. The human's head was a mess; scratches and claw marks littered the face, and the hair looked as though it had been burned. The neck was tilted at a bizarre angle, and a leg had been twisted completely.

Kairi was revolted at the sight, and Riku's rage overcame his incredible fatigue. Yet before he could make a move, the Fallen Angel cast the body as if even a Heartless found it disgusting. It landed at Kairi's feet.

She fell to her knees.

"How…could they…" Her breath came in agonized, choked sobs. "What…have they done…to my Sora?!"

* * *

_A/N: I love cliffhangers; don't you? Reviews are awesome!_


	28. Fall from Grace

_A/N: Thanks to Psycho Kitty Alchemist, japaneserockergirl, singintoyourself, oathkeeper (x5!!!!) and RikuLover211 for reviewing!_

_I have changed the story title once again! Feedback is always appreciated._

_I own my OCs only. The lyrics belong to Underoath._

**XXVIII. Fall from Grace**

_Someone has sown me shut and tied me to a bed…  
__This is where they all throw me to the wolves  
__Dragged behind and trampled on  
__I can't keep clawing at the jaws of hell  
__The silence is killing me…nothing to calm the nerve  
__Write down my thoughts, and read me my rights  
__Repeat, repeat, repent and repeat._

**Underoath-"The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed"**

Ruxik arrived back at the Altar of Naught and busily began casting cloaking spells on the Forge. He could scarcely hide his glee at so easily acquiring this incredible tool, and he was already imagining the next phase of the plan. Just as he finished the last spell that consigned the Forge to a miniscule space, he felt a wave of nausea that nearly knocked him to his knees.

"What is this?!" he shouted, angry and confused. He waited for the nausea to pass, but it remained. He noted that it didn't feel much like typical nausea. His stomach wasn't unsteady—his whole nature was. He was baffled as to what had happened until he happened to look skyward. The silver streak had grown to encompass the entire sky, and a white hole had appeared in the middle of it. The very sight of this was like a shockwave; he fell to the ground in agony.

_What is this bizarre thing?! Wait…it can't be…_ He looked skyward once more, trying to ignore the agonizing pain. As he slowly looked up, a thought flashed across his mind.

_It can't be…Oblivion?!_

* * *

Once again Kairi found herself on her knees: first beside Sora's empty casket and now beside his very body. She barely knew she was there; all she knew was that she felt torn in half. She had tried so hard to get Sora out of her mind, but she always knew that at least he was at peace. This horrible version of him was far from peaceful. She didn't know what had happened, but obviously her lover had been taken from her—she could not stand for this.

Riku too was outraged, and unlike Kairi he could still stand. He let his instincts take over, and his rage consumed him. With a primal scream he charged the lead Fallen Angel, furiously slashing its arms with his Keyblade. In his fury he didn't see the Angel's three blades attacking with supernatural speed and precision; it took a furious blow from the Angel's wing to make him come to his senses.

_Foolish boy! Those are pureblood Heartless. You are no match for them by yourself._

_That would've been nice to know BEFORE I charged, Darythas._

_You refused to listen._

_Can you blame me? Look what they did to Sora!_

_A heinous act indeed. And your recklessness will neither avenge him nor change his situation any. _

_…Fair enough. But Kairi is not going to fight anytime soon…_

_Fight defensively. Give her time to hear the voices of the Princesses that inhabit her. They will show her the proper course of action._

_Sounds good enough for me._ Riku slowly backed his way away from Kairi, drawing two Angels from her. One began to approach her, and Riku immediately charged dealt it a swift blow and retreated. Now all three Angels were focused directly on him, brandishing their blades slowly.

Riku continued to slowly walk backwards until he abruptly hit a rock wall. He heard the Angels hiss with demonic pleasure, and he forced himself to find a way out.

"Aeroga!" he shouted, pointing his blade at his feet. A gust of wind forced him into the air, and he used the boost to run up the wall. He jumped horizontally off the wall, slashing at an Angel's head along the way, and thrust his Keyblade into a crevasse, casting a Firaga. It worked—columns of flame erupted from the ground, and one Angel lost two arms to the blaze.

The Angels were now quite angry and were following Riku more closely. The wounded angel threw one of his blades at Riku and would have severed his head from his neck if not for a timely block.

_I have a feeling this could go on for a while…hurry, Kairi!_

But Kairi was far from battle-ready. The sight of Sora contaminated by such evil had rocked her to her core. She dimly realized that Naminé was not even attempting to comfort her. _Did she really leave me? What did I do?!_

_Her departure was not your fault._

_Jysilia?_

_Correct. _

_Wait—she did leave? Sora _and_ Naminé are gone? _

_…Yes._

Kairi felt another wave of grief shake her.

_Do not despair. You are still a Princess of Heart. We understand your grief, but your friend is danger—I am sure you do not want to lose him too._

_You expect me to fight like this?_

_I expect you to overcome your grief._

_That's not going to happen right away, Jysilia._

_Kairi, you must pull yourself together. _Jysilia was losing the comforting maternal tone in her voice.

_Pull myself together? Look at what they did! _

_Remaining here will do nothing. There is a time and a place for grieving—if you continue to grieve here, you will only endanger yourself and your friends. _

_I can't just forget what's happened here! You try living your life without your love!_

_I did. I told you this, remember? It was difficult, but I persevered. Your lover would not want you to live like this._

_Don't you dare tell me what Sora would have wanted from me! _Kairi was becoming angrier by the second. _I knew him. I loved him. I knew everything about him. And you think you can tell me what he would have wanted?!_

_Yes. _

This simple word pushed Kairi over the edge. Rage coursed through her veins like a flame, and her muscles began to seize involuntarily.

_Kairi—what is this? Restrain yourself! _Jysilia suddenly sounded panicked.

"Why? Sora's dead, Naminé's gone, and you're trying to tell me to forget both of these? I'll show who runs my life. Stop hiding in my thoughts and come fight me!" Kairi had begun to levitate and had ceased to speak to the elder Princess only in her mind. The Heartless and Riku paused from their battle to stare at Kairi who was glowing with a blinding light similar to the one that had destroyed Omegasis—but this was tainted with streaks of black and red.

_Have you gone mad?! What are you trying to do? And you know I can't challenge you—I'm a spirit!_

"Then just watch me! I'll show you how strong I am, and you will _never_ tell me to forget Sora!" The light grew brighter (yet more visibly tainted), and a furious wind began to blow towards Kairi.

"Kairi! Stop! What are you doing?!" Riku shouted in panic. The Fallen Angels began to squeal and croak in equally nervous tones.

This brought Kairi somewhat back to reality; the compassion that had made her a Princess slightly lessened her rage. "Riku—run! I can't stop what's happening!"

"This is what Yen Sid spent months training us for!" Riku shouted over the deafening wind. "Focus! Calm down!"

"He never trained us for this—and I_ won't_ stop it!" Kairi shouted with malice in her voice.

Riku was terrified; this girl was nothing like the Kairi he knew. Even her physical appearance had changed—her reddish-brown hair (now under a silver tiara) had inexplicably turned black, and she was wearing a beautiful white dress streaked with black. Without another word his panic overtook him, and he ran for his life.

Kairi stood high above the ground, looking past the maelstrom of light and wind. She saw Sora's body being battered by the storm; with a wave of her hand she covered the body in a white bubble. She smiled—but one could have called it a smirk. _This is what happens to those who harm my Sora. This is what _will _happen to those who keep me from him. _

_And no one can stop it. _

Abruptly the wind ceased, and the light around her was drawn back into her body. Then two words she had never spoken shattered the sudden silence.

"**ULTIMA HOLY!"**

Two much quieter words immediately followed; Riku cast an Ultima Reflega as soon as he heard Kairi's spell.

Then all heaven broke loose.

Riku had never seen such a blinding light in his life—even through his protective spell it was hauntingly beautiful in its purity and brightness, and he didn't even feel the need to close his eyes. The Fallen Angels immediately disappeared as soon as the light touched them, and Riku could have sworn Kairi had angel wings in her back. He was entranced, awed by Kairi's godlike power.

In a moment awe become terror.

The blinding light became tainted with darkness, and the ever-growing streaks of black only served to make the light seem brighter—now it caused Riku pain even with shut eyes. Kairi's wings disintegrated into dust, and her dress gradually became pitch black, torn and ragged. The light from her own spell now caused her pain, and soon she was shrieking in agony.

"Make it stop! Make it stop! I was wrong!" she screamed, begging for an end. Her very soul felt aflame.

_Thus ever it is to those who claim the power of the Holy. _

"Jysilia! Save me!"

_Thus ever it is to those who claim such power for their own._

"JYSILIA!"

_Your life has been spared once; why should we spare it again?_

"Have mercy on me! I was wrong! Just stop the pain! I'll do anything!" Death seemed a blissful release from this torture.

_I will give you a choice. _Jysilia's deliberate, stern tone only infuriated Kairi further. _I can spare you the pain and end your life now, or you may relinquish your crown as Princess until you are truly ready to bear it—this will spare you from the full wrath of the Holy. Choose neither and this pain will continue until the end of time._

Kairi wasted no time in making her decision. "Take the crown! Just spare me!"

Jysilia sighed. _As you wish. _With her word Kairi felt her tiara lift from her head; half of her wanted to sigh in relief, and another half longed for its return. The pain quickly faded away, and the blinding light disappeared. Kairi fell to the ground, slowed by a hand she did not see.

_You have chosen your fate,_ Jysilia stated flatly. _Your actions will determine when you may wear this crown again. You are still a Princess of Heart as you were from birth, but the Light of those before you has left your body. _

_Yes, Princess, _Kairi said dully. She was still breathing heavily from the intense pain, and tears streaked her face. Her normal clothes had returned, and the raging lust for power had left her. Jysilia said nothing as Riku ran to her side.

"Kairi! Kairi! Are you okay?" he asked frantically. Kairi nodded weakly before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Riku quickly examined her for wounds but found none.

"Don't bother," she said flatly. "It was that spell—it could have killed me."

"What?"

"Jysilia…the lead Princess. She told me to get over what they did to Sora…I didn't take it well. I tried a show of force—I thought I could cast Holy—it nearly killed me. The Princesses tried to stop it…but something possessed me."

"A Heartless? An evil Keyblader?"

"No, it's not that simple…" Kairi shook her head and shuddered in grief. "It was all me. I told myself I could do it…and Riku, Naminé's gone…she left me." Riku's mouth fell open in shock, but Kairi continued anyway. "I thought it was a dream—that night on the mountain she said she would leave, and she said something about Roxas…and I'm not a Princess anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Riku said, baffled.

"Thinking I could cast Holy lost me my powers. I'm back to the way I was before Omegasis."

Riku shook his head sadly, helpless. "I wish I could do something, Kairi. That really sucks."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, on the bright side…look around you!" Riku said with a suddenly bright tone. Kairi lifted her head to see a surprising setting—no longer did gray rock and black sky dominate the landscape. White sand caressed her feet, bright blue skies lit up the day, the ocean was calm and picturesque again…the island was back to the way it was.

"See, don't beat yourself up—at least you brought our home back!" Riku said, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah," Kairi said, plastering a smile on her face.

Riku bought the lie and looked skyward, trying to use the sun as a compass. "I'm thinking home's that way," he said, pointing. "I don't know about you, but I'd love to sleep in a real bed…"

Kairi nodded and let Riku slowly walk ahead of her.

_What have I become? I gave up my power. I nearly killed myself and my last living friend. _She looked to Sora's body, restored to its condition when he was placed in the casket. Kairi slowly crawled towards his body and was shaken; even in his deadly pallor he was beautiful. She felt inferior beside him, and thinking of his past only hurt her more—he had never committed an evil deed, and she had thought herself capable of challenging those who had made her a Princess of Heart.

_I've become a monster—and it's all because I let him die. _

* * *

Ruxik crawled from the Altar until he found he could stand again; he sprinted down the stairs of Proof of Existence, searching for Maleficent.

"Maleficent! Where'd you go, witch?!" he shouted angrily. As he descended, he heard the sound of battle just outside the castle. Soon he found Yen Sid and Mickey in a tense battle with his accomplice.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted, furious. "This was never part of the plan!"

Everyone froze and stare at him. Maleficent bore a confident smirk. "I was just taking care of the old man and his mouse; why turn down a chance to wipe out a Keyblader?"

"You're an idiot!" Ruxik yelled. "You can't take him on yet! You can't even stand up to _me_!"

Maleficent's confidence fell to outrage. "How dare you question my power!"

"Remember this?" Ruxik replied coolly. He began the incantation of the spell that had terrified Maleficent earlier.

Maleficent tried to hide her panic. _I have to pretend to be the perfect accomplice… _"All right, you win, O Mighty One." She still couldn't hide her sarcasm, but Ruxik bought it anyway—he stopped the spell halfway through.

For the first time Ruxik looked to Mickey and Yen Sid, speaking with an uncharacteristically pleasant tone. "So sorry to have you involved in this. We'll be returning you to Disney Castle now."

"Wait!" Mickey shouted, pointing skyward. "Just tell us what that is!"

Ruxik shook his head. "At this point I can only guess—it almost certainly does not concern you." He quickly conjured two portals and sent the two off despite a brief protest from Maleficent. He cast another glance skyward and nearly vomited—now the gray sky seemed to be unloading white comets, led by one particularly bright and massive beam.

Maleficent gave him a confused look as she continued to try to hide her rage at letting Mickey go. "I would think we should take shelter."

"For once you're right," Ruxik panted. He quickly charged into his castle with Maleficent just behind him

"So do you have any idea as to what that is?" she queried nonchalantly.

"I have a guess," Ruxik said, speaking quickly. "But I don't want to say it until I'm sure. We're going to need to withdraw the Heartless—I know the Guardians are going to come blame me for anything that happens to Oblivion. Speaking of which—how are things on the island?" He abruptly stopped in the Hall of Empty Melodies and turned to face the witch.

She silently waved her hand over her crystal ball and stared at it intently. At first she was shocked to see the picturesque island, but a quick replay of what had taken place put another expression on her face.

"Well? What's happening?" Ruxik demanded impatiently.

Maleficent grinned evilly. "Don't worry about the Heartless—they're gone. As for the rest…see for yourself." She handed her scepter to him, and he beheld Kairi's fate with glee.

"Excellent. She's at the edge of the cliff. All we needto do is tell her to jump."

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated!_


	29. Epiphany

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, japaneserockergirl, Psycho Kitty Alchemist and RikuLover211 for reviewing!_

_I own my OCs only…but you know that by now. Lyrics belong to Anberlin._

**XXIX. Epiphany**

_For most who live and breathe__  
Hell is never knowing who they are now__  
Tell me who you are now__  
Finally safe from the outside, trapped in what you know  
__Are you safe from yourself?  
Can you escape all by yourself?_

_It's not the lies that you sing,  
But what the silence will scream_**  
Anberlin-"A Whisper and a Clamor"**

Now the island had returned to its original state, Riku and Kairi could easily find their way around and use shortcuts without fear of Heartless. The main trouble for Kairi was maintaining a decently positive attitude. Fortunately Riku was overwhelmed by the joy of seeing his home again and wasn't in a very inquisitive mood. If he had been he would have found that Kairi was utterly devastated.

A thought had only struck her after she had cast the forbidden Holy. She knew now that such magic was forbidden—but she still had the power to even attempt it. Why hadn't she used that power to save Sora? Her immediate answer was that she didn't know she had this power, but this was easily countered—why hadn't she tried to learn it? She had never really meant her title as Princess of Heart ever really meant anything except that she was a target for Heartless. Certainly she had had some power before the coronation…and the memory of that glorious event only saddened her further. She had turned her back on their majesty and perfection, claiming she was stronger. She thought her desire to save Sora was more important than saving the world from darkness, and she had been proven wrong.

The way she saw it, she had once been strong. She had tried to use her strength to save Sora. She was weak again. The last time she had been weak, Sora had died. What fate would befall her now? Was Riku the next target? No, Riku was probably safe—he'd held off Ruxik this far. And now some ancient Keyblader inhabited him—certainly he should have been the Keyblade Master in her stead. She questioned why she had been made Keyblade Master in the first place instead of King Mickey or Riku—was it because she shared Sora's heart? Was it divine patronage? Had she been lucky instead of skilled?

Such thoughts ran through her mind and made her more miserable by the minute. Yet still she kept a content smile, trying to make it seem as if she was entranced by the return of her island. This wasn't too hard of a lie to keep up. She loved seeing the palm trees, blue sky, clear ocean and white sun and feeling soft white sand beneath her feet instead of hard, unforgiving rock. Yet her love of nature was not enough to conquer her hatred of herself.

All of this raged on in Kairi's mind, but she too was unaware. Riku too had been hiding his true fears. He saw how miserable Kairi had been, and having known her for so long, he knew when she was hiding something. He also knew that in such circumstances, she would never reveal anything for days, and he suspected that this was something that should not wait. To that end he turned to Darythas, having no one else with whom to talk.

_Have you seen anything like this?_

_No. Princess Kairi is unique. I've never known anyone to be rejected as a Princess of Heart. But it disturbs me. Your Nobody is likely delighted at this news._

_You said Ruxik would use Kairi the way he once used you—is this part of it?_

_It very well may be. At present I cannot see how, but I am sure his cunning mind will find a way. Could you see one? You are his vessel, and you probably think similarly._

Riku pondered it for a minute. _Is he trying to claim her heart for his own?_

_Impossible. A Nobody could never lay claim to heart of this power._

_You said Kairi was unique._

_…True._

_But then why didn't he do it sooner?_

_Perhaps it would be easier for him to wait until her heart was at its weakest._

_But he could have done all of this a lot sooner. Shouldn't he have done all this before she was crowned? And what if that's not his plan at all? I know he tried to take Sora's Keyblade…is that what he wants?_

_The Keyblade chooses who will wield it. A terrible twist of fate would be the only way he could bear the holy weapon._

_You said the Heartless figured out how to make Keyblades._

_That art has been long lost. We ensured that only the pure of heart could make Keyblades. We Aexyrthani consolidated all of the Keyblade forges into one and entrusted it to the wisest being we could find. I believe its current owner is Master Yen Sid._

Riku stopped dead in his tracks. _He tried to give us that forge! But then Ruxik attacked…and the Castle came under attack…we had to leave…could Ruxik have stolen it?_

_The Keyblade is more than mere metal, my friend. It is powered by ancient Aexyrthani magic. _

_So then how are there still Keybladers when the Aexyrthan are gone?_

_Our magic remains in the Keyblades. _

"Riku? Riku?!" Kairi said irritably. She had not noticed Riku's abrupt stop quickly enough, and even after running into him, he had not moved.

"Wha? Oh…sorry about that," he said, forcing a light chuckle. Kairi too forced a fake smile, and since both knew the other was lying, they went on their way.

_So let me get this straight. You need Aexyrthani magic to make a Keyblade._

_Correct._

_You need a Keyblade for Aexyrthani magic._

_Correct._

_So if you take one Keyblade, you could make as many as you like._

_…Are you implying Ruxik wants to make more Keyblades?_

_It sounds pretty logical to me. _

_For everyone's sake I hope you are wrong._

_Unfortunately I don't think I am. _

_But how do you propose he shall acquire a Keyblade? Unless…_ Darythas gasped, a strange sensation for Riku; he felt as though the center of his body was a vacuum. _Do you think he plans to take Kairi's?_

_Could be._

_Then I exhort you to communicate you with her as much as you possibly can. Warn her of what you think may be the case—no harm can come from her being more alert. _

_She won't say anything to me. She's barely said anything since what happened with that Holy business._

_At least make the attempt. The price of silence may be too great._

Riku sighed, forgetting that Darythas could read his thoughts.

"What was that for?"

_Well, guess I have to talk now, _Riku thought with dread. "Not much…just something I was talking with Darythas about."

"Oh? Something I should know?" Kairi really had no interest; she just felt an interested response would keep Riku from probing.

Riku inhaled and braced himself. _Let's get this over with. _"He thinks Ruxik's trying to manipulate you and take your Keyblade."

_This was your idea!_ Darythas shouted indignantly.

_You agreed with it. _Riku waited for the silence to pass so he could dismiss the whole conversation.

"Manipulate me? How?" Kairi pondered. This took Riku aback—he hadn't expected a response at all.

"Um…well, actually I thought of this…"

_Better._

"He can't take your Keyblade when your heart is strong…so he's trying to weaken it with this whole Sora business…and it looks like it's working."

A few seconds passed silently. Then—"So you're saying I'm weak?"

"No! Not like that…" _Here it comes._

"Riku, I've been trying to get over it since it happened! I know I haven't been doing so great, especially with what they've done to him lately…" Here she paused to suppress a sob. "But don't you _dare_ tell me that I'd ever give into Ruxik! He will take this Keyblade when he pries it from my cold, dead hands! How could you possibly think that I was that far gone?"

Kairi's anger triggered sarcasm in Riku's tone. "Looked to me like you were pretty far gone back there." He pointed back the way they had come.

"Oh, now _everyone's_ going to hang that over my head!" Kairi shouted in fury. "Is it my fault I made one mistake? I already lost Naminé and the Princesses—don't you think I have enough to worry about? Leave me alone!"

_That seems like a pretty definite end to this conversation. _Riku didn't respond but continued on the path towards home.

_Told you so, Darythas._

_And I implore you to tell her again when she is of better temper. You do not understand the gravity of the situation._

_I understand that—I also understand Kairi. It could be weeks before she's approachable. What happened back there really seemed to take a toll on her. _

_Then ensure that you tell her before it is too late. Too much is at stake. _

_I know. Oh, if only I'd finished off Ruxik back in Twilight Town…_

_You should have known your Nobody would not fall so easily. He is cunning and resilient like you—brute strength and magic will not fell him. At least, not your own._

_But Kairi's not in fighting shape._

_Exactly why she needs to understand the importance of what is happening. You cannot destroy him alone, and neither can she. The only way you will even have a hope of winning is to use both of your powers, and both of you will be pushed to the limit._

_I just hope we'll come out on top. _"Hey, what's that?" he asked in surprise, pointing skyward. A bright white beam raced across the sky.

Kairi broke from her anger to express her confusion. "A shooting star? But it's too early…it's not even dusk yet."

"That's really weird." Riku let the conversation die but kept the strange occurrence in his mind. _That looks like more than just a meteor. And it seemed kind of familiar…_

* * *

"So, do you care to tell me what's wrong with Oblivion?" Maleficent asked as she busily conjured Heartless.

"I told you, I can only guess. And I really hope I'm wrong," Ruxik said dismissively.

"Well, I don't have the slightest idea, so I'll hear out even a guess," the witch prodded.

Ruxik sighed and stopped summoning Heartless as he faced Maleficent. "I don't know how or why, but Oblivion looks like it's…opened. And it's making me quite weak—if it comes to combat, the Guardians may have an advantage. Hence the Heartless."

"Opened?"

"I think Nobodies are spewing out. Everything in Oblivion is leaving. I'm guessing that as Oblivion is supposedly my home, any flaws in it will mess with me as well. Point being, we could have a messy situation on our hands."

"Everything?" Now Maleficent's interest was piqued. "Even…the Organization?"

Ruxik went back to bringing up Heartless, levitating as the fiends took up more space. "Not Xemnas—Sora and my vessel destroyed him in Oblivion, so I think he gets a special fate. But the rest…sure, why not?"

"Do you not realize the possibilities?" The witch's mind was racing.

"I do. I have bigger problems here. As long as Oblivion's open, I'm going to get weaker. And that's just going to make fending off the Guardians harder."

"Who says they'll fight?"

"They'll blame me for opening it—but it was no fault of mine. If I had my way, I'd destroy whoever opened it and close it post-haste. But do you think they'll listen to me?"

"Point taken." Maleficent waved her scepter once more, bringing up one last squadron of Neoshadows. "That should do, yes?"

"Yes." Ruxik turned from his army of fiends. "Besides I can't afford to tire myself out anymore. And now, we wait. Time, depart."

And with that the Heartless froze in place. Ruxik stood and faced the door into the Hall of Empty Melodies, impatiently expecting his old adversaries.

The wait was short; hardly a quarter of an hour passed before three figures in bright white robes appeared. Nobody spoke; the Guardians examined the hordes of Heartless, and Ruxik forced himself to look at their eyes instead of their blinding robes.

Hayner spoke first, sarcasm dripping menacingly from his lips. "Hiding behind an army? Ruxik, that's not like you."

"You all know I'm not at peak condition; there'd be no honor in slaying me here," Ruxik replied coolly. "So why have one side fight with honor?"

Pence laughed. "Honor? Who bust Oblivion open? You've just put every Nobody at a disadvantage, not just you."

"I didn't open it!" Ruxik shouted emphatically. "I swear to you it was not my doing—I have half a mind to hunt down whoever opened it and destroy them myself!"

"Then who was it?" Olette replied. "What other Nobody would know how to open Oblivion? No Nobody has sunk as far into darkness as you."

"You might know," Ruxik said with a sudden hint of suspicion. "You certainly are self-righteous enough to hide such knowledge for your own."

"Oblivion is not meant to be opened; thus we never saw the need to learn how," Pence answered angrily. "Spare us your excuses and lies; both fall on deaf ears!"

"I thought you were supposed to be the guardians of truth and honor in Nobodies," Ruxik retorted. "So why can you fail to detect when I truly am honest? Do your prejudices run that deep? Can not even the foulest sinner change his spots? I thought you guys were all about redemption." A sarcastic edge entered his voice towards the end of his rant.

"Our ultimate goal is to bring Nobodies to their vessels," Pence said firmly. "Anyone who we believe will interfere with that is hostile in our eyes, and whatever you are planning seems very likely to interfere."

"So you sacrifice my fulfillment?!" Ruxik shouted furiously. "I have no plans to hurt a single Nobody. My plans involve only the Keybladers."

"Those Keybladers keep the dark-hearted like you in check," Olette replied. "If you were to kill Riku, Kairi and King Mickey, the Heartless would overrun the worlds, and darkness would reign."

"And that will mean the fulfillment of all Nobodies!" Ruxik screamed. "Dark power does not make one a Heartless—look at Maleficent!" For the first time the witch was the center of attention. "She was destined for dark power! Will you interfere with destiny? Is that your goal? Fine! Do as you will!" Silence fell as he began to levitate. "But I won't let you stop me from achieving mine." He conjured his double-bladed staff, rage overpowering his sickness from the disrupted Oblivion.

"Dismiss the weapon," Hayner said firmly, adopting a combat stance.

"Or else?"

"You won't live to see your precious 'destiny' come true." Pence too was battle-ready.

"I'll take that as a challenge," Ruxik replied, laughing demonically. "Maleficent! Ensure that these three do not leave this hall!"

Maleficent rolled her eyes as she brandished her staff, freeing the Heartless from Ruxik's spell. _He's gone mad. Again. But it couldn't hurt to have the Guardians out of the way. _

Ruxik launched a sphere of dark energy at Pence who casually deflected it with one hand. He sighed as he readied a blast of light. "Here goes."

* * *

_A/N: Sorry it's been so long! Reviews rock!_


	30. Ascension and Disgrace

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself (YAY REVIEW #100!), Phoenix of the Darkness, RikuLover211, Psycho Kitty Alchemist and japaneserockergirl for reviewing, and thanks to Nobdy'sMelody for the favorite story add!_

_Thirty chapters at last! Just like in the first 29 chapters, I own only my OCs. Lyrics belong to The Killers._

**XXX. Ascension and Disgrace**

_Saw Cinderella in a party dress, she was looking for a nightgown  
__I saw the devil wrapping up his hands; he's getting ready for a showdown__  
I saw the moment that I turned away; I've got my money on a pawn tonight…__  
Now, Cinderella, don't you go to sleep; it's such a bitter form of refuge__  
Why don't you know the kingdom's under siege, and everybody needs you?__  
Is there still magic in the midnight sun, or did you leave it back in sixty-one  
In the cadence of a young man's eyes out where the dreams all hide?_

**The Killers— "A Dustland Fairytale"**

Within seconds Castle Oblivion was full of blast of magic and light. The Heartless were nothing but fodder for the Guardians. Waves of Shadows and Soldiers fell easily before the blasts of light from the ancient Nobodies, and Ruxik and Maleficent could gain no ground. As the battle progressed, eventually Maleficent began to focus on Olette whose agility and evasiveness gave Ruxik fits. Her magical abilities were quite impressive as well; the two exchanged a series of elemental spells before more powerful magic took the stage.

Maleficent stood on her usual flying stone, casting black magic at a blinding rate. Yet she remained frustrated; Olette dodged most of her spells and deflected the rest while still keeping up a steady flow of white magic. Desperate, Maleficent launched a Scourge spell; green tentacles sought to envelop Olette, but she eradicated them with a blast of white light. The witch snarled in rage and kept launching spells.

Ruxik continued to levitate high above the Guardians, raining dark energy from above. He watched wave after wave of Heartless fail to even scratch their adversaries, and his aggravation grew as well. He charged the same massive black sphere he had once thrown at Riku, and soon lightning crackled through the sky, striking even the white comets falling from Oblivion. With a grunt of exertion he launched the sphere, and Hayner and Pence could barely resist it.

With both arms raised to hold off the attack the Guardians cast a glance at each other. Hayner was the first to speak. "He's gotten even stronger, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, and I don't think this is the end," Pence replied, wincing as a Shadow slashed at his chest. "I think it's time for an Aduro."

"Sounds good. On the count of three—one, two, three…"

Both Guardians shouted in unison. "**ULTIMA ADURO**!"

A huge blast of light emanated from their hands, blinding Ruxik and Maleficent and incinerating nearby Heartless. The black sphere quivered from the strength of the attack before exploding into black shards, and the beam of light continued unhindered, blasting a hole in the wall. In seconds the entire wall collapsed, burying several legions of Heartless under it.

When Ruxik could finally open his eyes, he saw burn marks on his arms, and he screamed as the pain finally kicked in. The light was like fire to his flesh, and it felt like hours before the pain finally subsided; he was left gasping and panting, and he returned to the ground. The Guardians came, firing more blasts of light, and Ruxik was forced to retreat. The Heartless, too shied from the blinding lights, and Maleficent had her hands full with Olette. Ruxik's mind was racing; he was in no shape to beat the Guardians, but he couldn't let his plans end here…

And then a comet from Oblivion came in through the hole in the wall, hitting a Heartless. Ruxik was captivated—the comet was not a fragment of rock but a Dusk, a Nobody. It was there for an instant before it jumped into a Shadow—the fiend let out one high-pitched squeal before it disappeared before a flash of gray light spread through the Hall of Empty Melodies. Suddenly a new beast appeared in its place. It was both Dusk nor Shadow—it stood taller than either, with the lithe gray arms and legs of a Dusk but with the sharp claws and antennae of a Shadow, and its body was striped with black and gray. It released a demonic howl before striking the Guardians, using its arms like whips.

Hayner was struck first; he let out an agonized scream as a wound on his back erupted in the gray flame of Nobodies. Pence's confident expression became fear, and he charged another light spell—the beast dodged it easily. Pence tried again and again, but the beast kept whipping Hayner until the gray flame seemed to fill the air. Ruxik was enthralled by the power of this incredible beast to the point that he didn't even attempt to stop Olette's Ultima Aeroga blowing the beast away. When Pence finished the fiend with an Ultima Aduro, he felt something like sadness for a moment before he came to his senses.

Maleficent took the opportunity to unleash her fury. "What were you doing?! We could have killed that insolent pest!"

"I think I've got a better idea," Ruxik said quietly. He jumped off the ground and began to hover once more. Under him more Nobodies came in through the hole in the wall, fusing with Heartless and creating all manner of horrible creatures (an Invisible wielding a Berserker's hammer nearly decapitated Pence). Maleficent could do nothing but gape in a strange mixture of anger, confusion and awe as gray lightning began to emanate from Ruxik, scorching the walls and some unfortunate Heartless.

"What is he doing?!" Hayner said, terrified and still wounded.

"If only I knew," Pence answered, equally fearful. He and Olette cast all manner of spells at the floating Nobody, but none of them harmed Ruxik. His face bore an expression of incredible determination and exertion, and he remained silent for some time until every Heartless in the room began to look upwards—the gray lightning had formed a dome encompassing them all. Then—

"Heartless! Come!"

And with that every Heartless rose into the air. Their terrified squeals penetrated every ear in the Hall as they scrambled for solid ground. Yet nothing could stop their relentless ascension. Soon thousands of them gravitated around Ruxik like satellites. Once again the Hall fell silent, even the Heartless held their tongues.

A sudden flash of gray stunned the spectators. Ruxik let out a terrifying roar—the Heartless were plunging into his body by the hundreds. Soon he grew a gigantic height; his fingers become sharp claws; his legs were boulders; his face was feral. His eyes turned completely black but shined, obscured by his ever-growing hair. Yet his mind remained active as his body transformed. He felt raw power coursing through him, pulsing like a heartbeat, breathing like a living creature. _This is incredible. This is what the power of darkness feels like—I cannot believe I failed to pursue this for so long. Those Guardians don't stand a chance—and neither do the Keybladers.  
_

At last the transformation was complete, and a titanic new Ruxik stood before the horrified Guardians, smirking as he always had. He spoke, and the foundations of the world shook: "Unbelievable! Unbelievable—this power, and that you would deny it!"

"What are you talking about?" Hayner said with false courage.

"What am I talking about? Look before you! Darkness gave me this! You try to convince your brethren that only light can save, light is all-powerful, light will fulfill—you lie! You have kept up this illusion for too long—you passed judgment without knowing what you were missing!" Silence fell while Ruxik's booming voice echoed throughout the Hall. "But I am merciful. I know you simply made an error. I will show you what you have so arrogantly shunned, and you will see its glory as I do." With that he began to stare several stories down at the suddenly miniscule Guardians for the first time; they were firing Ultima spells by the dozens, but they were nothing to him. Finally they realized the futility of their efforts and huddled together in panic. Ruxik cackled at their terror, and the sound brought the Guardians to their knees.

"Who wants to go first?" he taunted. "No volunteers? Then I shall be forced to choose…well, ladies first, after all." He reached for Olette, easily flicking away the foolhardy Hayner. She struggled mightily, but Ruxik effortlessly clamped three meter-long claws around her left breast.

"For so long you told your own kind that they could only be fulfilled by finding hearts—I will show you that darkness fills the void in our chests just as well!" And with that he ripped open Olette's chest and thrust his palm over the wound, blocking the gray flame. Hayner and Pence roared in fury, casting even more powerful spells, but still Ruxik was unharmed. Olette screamed in pain, trying to resist this darkness that threatened to possess her. At times she would feel sudden waves of malice and power; these alternated with agony.

"Olette! You can't give in! _You can't give in!_" Pence bellowed, fighting furiously to reach her.

_I can't give in? It's taking me over…_

_No. I must resist. I won't let this happen!_ And suddenly a flash of white light emitted from the whole in her chest, forcing Ruxik's hand back. The gargantuan semi-Nobody looked at his hand for a moment before thrusting it towards Olette, struggling to force the light back into her body.

"Olette! Keep fighting!" Pence shouted as Ruxik kicked him across the Hall.

Olette could not respond, but redoubled her efforts; Ruxik responded appropriately.

"Why do you insist on resisting the darkness you were made for?!" he growled furiously.

Suddenly Olette found she could speak. "We were not made for this. We were made for light! Your illusions of grandeur will fail—light will always triumph!"

"You call this triumph?" he sneered. "Is a trip to Oblivion a triumph? You fool—maybe you deserve this fate!" And with that his hand met Olette's chest, and darkness consumed the Hall.

A tremendous explosion suddenly tore the room apart. All present were blinded by an incredible light and scorching heat, and the sound of a furious scream was deafening. It was an eternity before any eyes opened; Pence was the first to witness what had happened, and when he did so, he gasped in horror.

Olette's body had ripped in half. Frayed skin hung uselessly over the gaping cavity that had once been her torso, and pieces of tissue mixed with blood were scattered about her limp and motionless body. A smoky haze of Nobody vapor hovered above her like a storm cloud. Yet in stark contrast to this there was a radiant smile on her face, and her face was angelically peaceful. Pence could not hold back a tear—he knew she had died, but she had served light to the end. Her resistance to darkness had been so strong that her body could no longer contain it.

Eventually Hayner slowly walked to her body, but when he arrived, it disappeared in a gray flame—she had passed to Oblivion. He wept openly, and Pence put his hand on his shoulder in encouragement, his grief overwhelmed with something like pride. However he was wrenched back to reality by another Nobody—one that was not saddened in the least.

"Blood—she had a heart."

"Correct," Pence said coolly, turning to face Ruxik, now back in his normal form. "Hayner and I have them as well."

"You claim a reunion with a vessel is the way to fulfillment—you get a heart that way. But you haven't met your vessels, have you?" His voice was thick and monotonous, and he held his double-bladed staff in his left hand as he approached—his right hand bore a terrible wound that vaguely resembled a burn; it had borne the brunt of the explosion.

"We have not—they are dead." Pence's tone did not change.

"So you lead Nobodies to fulfillment by meeting their vessels—yet you have already been fulfilled without doing so."

"Yes…" Pence did not fully understand where this conversation was heading.

"You…are…_hypocrites_!" Ruxik snarled. "You aren't even _Nobodies_, yet you try to lead them! How can you _possibly_ understand the need for fulfillment when you have achieved it for yourselves?!" The staff twitched nervously in his hand, as if it was preparing for what was to come.

"Because we have experienced it for ourselves—we know the glories of fulfillment, and surely those that find their vessels will know it better themselves."

"BUT YOU AREN'T NOBODIES—YOU HAVE HEARTS!" Ruxik was screaming and foaming at the mouth like an animal, and his voice was growing higher and more maniacal by the second. "YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO EVERY ONE OF US ALL ALONG!" Now he was less than twenty feet from Pence.

"Drop the weapon." Hayner spoke again, his tone revealing no emotion.

"YOU CAN'T ORDER ME!"

"Drop. The. Weapon."

"I JUST DESTROYED HER, AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE AUTHORITY OVER ME?!" He stopped for a second to look at the pool of blood and flesh where Olette had once been and spit.

This pushed Hayner over the top. "DON'T YOU DARE DEFILE HER!" Despite Pence's protests and restraining arm, he charged Ruxik in a rage. Before he had gone two steps Ruxik struck like lightening—his staff's blade protruded through Hayner's back. Only a second passed before he disappeared as well.

Pence felt fear shake him—he was the last remaining Guardian, and he had expended almost all of his power trying to save Olette. He knew he stood no chance against this deranged version of Ruxik, but he wouldn't go without a fight. He jumped into the air and began to levitate; Ruxik thrust his hand out, and gray lightning tied up Pence's arms. His arm fell rapidly, throwing the Guardian to the ground with a dull thud and a sharp cracking sound. Pence tried to move but knew his spine had snapped—he would be dead in seconds.

Ruxik paused to throw his head back and let out a demonic cackle before looking again at his prey. Pence looked up at him almost pityingly as he asked, "Must it be this way? Must you shun light?"

"Do you really think I'm going to stop and convert to your hypocrisy _now_?" Ruxik replied, laughing hysterically. "I'm on the verge of complete and perfect power—your last words won't stop me."

Pence sighed. "Be that as it may. But I am sure you will remember what has transpired here." He sighed as Ruxik stepped on his back, holding his staff above his head.

"I will remember—this was the day the false lords of the Nobodies were slain! This will be the greatest revolution my kind has ever seen, yet it will be nothing compared to my kingdom! This was the day the darkness triumphed over the light, and yet more glory remains for me! Remember this in Oblivion, Guardian: you and your friends were just a stepping stone for the king of all the worlds!" The fiendish Nobody laughed uproariously once again.

A smile came across Pence's face. _So it shall be—the Keybladers have to be the ones to slay the darkness. _

The smile remained as Ruxik's staff plunged through Pence's back, and it lasted until his passage to Oblivion. However the fiendish Nobody saw none of this; he was blinded by his malicious ecstasy. "THE DARKNESS HAS TRIUMPHED!"

He stood silently, reveling in his own glory for about a minute, before he heard what sounded like applause. In fact it was applause; Maleficent was clapping slowly and loudly.

"Good show," she said coolly.

"Thank you, you're too kind," Ruxik replied. "Where were you in all of this?"

Maleficent shrugged. "You seemed to be fairly capable of handling them on your own. Yet I cannot help but wonder why you felt the need to kill them."

"What, the Guardians?" Ruxik asked; already he had begun to calm down. "In the grand scheme of things, it's really more of a convenience. But—I felt _real_ dark power there. Fusing with and mastering Heartless…words can't describe how it felt."

"I take it you lost that power, then?" Maleficent was unimpressed.

Ruxik nodded, scowling. "That explosion took it out of me; that was a pretty nice trick right there. Too bad it didn't work." He sneered and pointed to the pool of blood and skin. "That reminds me; can you clean that up?"

Silently Maleficent waved her staff, and the Hall of Empty Melodies was back to its spotless white and free of gaping holes in the walls.

"Excellent."

Some time passed before either of them spoke; Maleficent eventually opened her mouth. "So what of the Keybladers? Kairi seems completely broken, and Riku is starting to get suspicious…we must act before he intervenes."

"I think Kairi might be past the point of intervention," Ruxik said nonchalantly. "But you are right. It is high time those Keybladers were eliminated. Which means two things—I need to get set in the Forge making Omega Dawn, and you need to give Kairi one last push. I had a taste of true darkness; I'm not going to settle for just that. Full and complete dark power—_that_ will fulfill me."

"But do you truly think the girl would listen to me? She's denounced me as evil years ago."

"At this point she'll listen to anyone. If she's stubborn, just make her lovebird appear at inopportune times. It seems to have worked before."

For the first time Maleficent smiled. _The day of taking his power is nigh._ "Then I shall head to the Islands." Without another word she disappeared in an orb of green and black flame.

Ruxik was left alone again. He dismissed his double-bladed staff and slowly walked to the Altar of Naught. He busily cast a series of spells to restore the Forge to its true size and to make it visible once again; another round of spells started the mighty fires. He pulled several precious metals from its shelves, and he conjured a scrap of paper that contained something much like a blueprint.

_Omega Dawn will soon be in my hands…and with it will come the keys to everlasting power._ _Oh, so soon…_

* * *

After an uninterrupted night and few more hours of trekking through the wilderness the Keybladers finally arrived at their home village. A few conversations with the natives told them that they had not noticed the transformed world; somehow Ruxik must have spared them.

"That doesn't sound like something he would do," Riku said, confused. "He has no value for life…why wouldn't he just wipe out everyone?"

"I don't know…I'm tired, and I really don't feel like answering questions right now, Riku."

"KAIRI!!!"

A short brunette in a yellow party dress ran up to Kairi and gave her a tremendous hug. "You've come back!"

"Hey, Selphie, long time no see," Kairi replied, faking happiness as she returned the hug. "Well, don't you look great—what's the occasion?"

"Um, my seventeenth birthday, of course!" she said excitedly. "I invited you, but I didn't think you'd make it…you've been off saving the world, I can tell!"

"Something like that…" Riku muttered under his breath. He had never been a fan of Selphie's irrepressible energy, and it often spurred him to sarcasm. Fortunately for him no one heard his comments.

"So can you come? I mean, if you want to go home and relax, I can understand that, but I don't need a gift or anything, and it'd be really awesome if you came!"

"Well…" Kairi gave the impression of exaggerated mental battles, but she actually wasn't sure if she wanted to come. Doing nothing was very appealing right now; then again denying the invitation would certainly arouse suspicion, and that was the last thing she wanted right now. Besides, maybe whatever Selphie had planned would be good for her. "Yeah, I can come. Just let me shower and change first; I'm obviously not dressed for the occasion—speaking of which, what kind of party is this?"

"A dance party!" she squealed. Riku rolled his eyes.

"Okay then, I know what I need now; see ya!" Kairi replied. Selphie saw none of the false happiness and ran back the way she came before stopping abruptly.

"Oh, and Riku, you're invited too—a bunch of girls were really looking forward to meeting you!"

_Great. More single emo chicks. But at least I can watch Kairi. _"Sure, I'll come! Just give me a bit, okay?"

"Okay!" Selphie went on her way again.

Once she was out of earshot, Riku sighed. "She never slows down, does she?"

"Nope," Kairi said simply as she continued on her way towards her house. Once Riku had turned and gone to his home, she sighed as well. _Well, let's hope this is a good distraction._

* * *

About an hour and a half had passed before Kairi had deemed herself suitable for the public. She had chosen a short, strapless black party dress she hadn't worn yet; she had never found an occasion for it but found now that she rather liked it. She walked out of her house towards Selphie's and was surprised to find Riku waiting not far from her house, wearing his traditional t-shirt and jeans and not feeling the slightest fear of being underdressed.

"Creeper much?" she asked as she passed him.

"I thought I'd wait for you—should I be sorry?"

"Nah, don't worry about it." The second-last thing that Kairi wanted to do was talk to anyone that could possibly mention what had happened to Sora; the last thing was to arouse suspicion by not talking. The two walked slowly, not saying too much until a storm of pounding bass lines and flashing lights told them where the party was—a huge white mansion (Selphie's parents had always been quite wealthy).

"She can't do anything small, can she?" Riku sighed as he rang the doorbell.

"Nope," Kairi replied flatly. Her mood changed drastically when Selphie opened the door (and squealed loudly); she kept up the pretense of happiness as she was led to the basement where the party was taking place. A flurry of catcalls brought all the attention upon Kairi, and several of her old friends came to say hello. However it was all small talk, and soon she found herself on the dance floor. This was a place where she had never been without Sora, and at first it was difficult to hide her anxiety. However as more songs were played, she grew more comfortable and found herself dancing readily, even with no one dancing with her. She did her best to look happy, knowing Riku was watching her, and sometimes it actually was genuine—this was just the mindless activity she needed.

Riku was thinking the same thing from a corner of the dance hall. He knew how Kairi truly felt—he'd known her since he could count his age in years on one hand, and she hadn't changed all that much. He tried to talk to her without breaking through the crowd of dancers (by his guess Selphie had invited a hundred people), but the huge number of people made this impossible. Eventually he gave up and began to think that this was good for her—for now, anyway. These thoughts plagued him for some time until he realized that a small group of emo girls had found him, and he spent about an hour trying to escape them.

The music followed the typical patterns of a high school dance party—large amounts of rap (varying wildly in quality), a few dance-pop tracks, a rocker or two (this made Riku quite ecstatic), and of course, a slow ballad to end the night. Kairi recognized this final song and immediately headed off the dance floor—she had danced with Sora to this song, and she really did not want to think of him right now. She found Riku leaning against a wall, and she walked towards him.

"How's your night been?" she asked, hoping to sound nonchalant.

"I've been trying to escape some emos for a while. Loads of fun," he said. "But if you stay here maybe they'll give up. How've you been?"

"I'm actually having a pretty good time."

"Or at least you seem to be."

"Did you really think everything would be perfect a day after the fact?" Kairi said disdainfully. Before Riku could respond, a tall, tanned, athletic-looking boy tapped Kairi on the shoulder, and she spun around deftly.

"'Scuse me, um, Kairi, but…would you dance with me?"

And here was a crisis. She could say no and arouse suspicion (this boy had been quite popular when he was in school, and the entire female population longed for him—saying 'no' would bring everyone's attention on her), or she could say yes to someone who was not Sora…this was unthinkable. She cast a quick glance at Riku out of the corner of her eye—he offered no advice. She blinked once, and an eternity passed—it was not long enough, and she had not decided. She uttered one short word.

"Sure."

Riku had to clench his jaw to keep it from the floor. Even the asker looked surprised but quickly smiled and offered his hand chivalrously, leading Kairi to the dance floor and leaving Riku alone with his thoughts.

_This is not like her. How could she go from missing Sora so badly to completely forgetting him?_

_Are you that thick? Have you not considered that this is only a distraction?_

_Darythas, I know her better than you. This isn't a distraction—something's wrong._

_Let it play out. She is not doing anything harmful._

_So you think._ Riku stood silently, trying to watch Kairi without giving the impression of staring.

Considering that Kairi and this boy hardly knew each other, it seemed fitting to Kairi that they would stand relatively far apart as she draped her arms around the boy's wide neck. Besides, the voices in her head reminding her of her betrayal were quieter when she stood far apart. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was betraying Sora, but she also couldn't let this boy know. If she let one hint of her grief for Sora escape, the rest would come, and she would explode from her own sadness. So her mental battle continued as a tenor voice floated smoothly over standard ballad instrumentation.

It only worsened when she felt a light pressure on her hips—the boy was trying to pull her closer. The voices were screaming now, and Kairi almost winced from the shrill mental cacophony. Another crisis—suffer the voices, or invite questions by resisting? And now she had less time to decide. One thought settled the matter for her. _Well, Sora's not here. He couldn't mind if I did this…_And so she gave into the gentle pull, now close enough to rest her head on the boy's chest.

She nearly screamed. The voices were winning, trumpeting her heinous callousness to the world. Desperately she tried to quiet them. _I'm sorry, Sora. I'm sorry. I can't stop it. Forgive me. Forgive me, Sora—you know you mean everything to me._ Yet she could not leave the boy's embrace. Something felt very pleasurable about this; it was a kind of distraction. And so she remained in the boy's arms until the end of the song when she realized what she had done.

_What have I become? I'm a traitor. I'm worthless. _She shuddered violently, using every last scrap of her will to keep from breaking down. Riku of course had seen everything and quickly found her. "Come on, let's leave—hang on for just a minute."

Soon the two had said their farewells and were heading home. They walked in silence for a minute or two before Riku finally asked, "So…what happened?"

"Huh?" She knew full well what he was talking about.

"You looked like you were about to pass out there…"

"I betrayed Sora," she said very quietly so that Riku could hardly hear.

"What?"

"_I betrayed Sora!" _she screamed. "He meant everything to me, and I meant everything to him, and I threw it all away! He'll hate me—and he has the right! I don't deserve him—everywhere I go I cause failure!"

"Kairi, you know you didn't do anything wrong," Riku said in what he thought was a gentle tone. "I wasn't trying to blame you; I was curious. What you did was fine—Sora wouldn't have minded."

This was quite the wrong thing to say.

"WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK THEY KNOW WHAT SORA WANTS FOR ME?!" Kairi shouted. "I loved him! He gave up everything for me, and I'd do the same thing for him! So don't you even _think_ of telling me what he wanted!" And with that she stormed past Riku, tears of rage and grief mingling as they fell down her cheeks.

Riku was completely taken aback. _This is only getting worse!_

_Give it time._

_I don't think I have time. You heard her—she'll do anything to save Sora. What if that's Ruxik's plan? What if he knows how to bring Sora back?_

_Impossible._

_Kairi might buy it anyway._

Darythas was silent for a minute. _Give her at least a night to calm herself. Keep watch, of course. What you have proposed is very grave._

_Yeah, you're telling me._

* * *

Kairi threw herself on her bed and cried until she happened to look at her alarm clock beside her bed which read 1:36 AM. Deciding that sleep might help her escape this terrible reality (but knowing that it wouldn't) she stood up and realized that in her grief she forgotten to change out of her party dress. She slipped out of it and hung it up easily before another dress in her closet caught her eye. _My prom dress…I wonder if it still fits me?_ It was a strange instinct, but she followed it anyway. _Can't hurt, right? And maybe Sora will forgive me after…oh, I can't think about it. _

A few minutes passed before she found herself in her strapless pale blue dress that flared out widely at the thighs—it still fit her perfectly. She walked to the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror; even with the bloodshot eyes of one who has wept recently, she was stunning. Yet this meant nothing to her—she thought only of the beautiful memories of the prom and how she had betrayed Sora's love. This only served to sadden her more, and a few more tears escaped. With a sigh she went to return to her room, but a small wooden box caught her eye—the box of keychains. _I remember when I opened that—I swore to Sora that I'd bring him back. What a great job I've done so far…I've broken the oath. I lost the one thing that could bring him back to life when I failed the Princesses, and I tried to replace him. I've failed him. I've failed myself. _She felt another wave of anguish come over her before she saw a rush of black and green flame near her. By instinct she drew Oathkeeper and stared to face the figure that came from it.

"Maleficent! Get out of here, you freak!"

To her surprise the witch held up her hands in surrender and dismissed her staff. "I mean no harm to you; I merely think we need to talk."

"What can you possibly talk to me about?"

"Your lover. I know how to resurrect him."

Kairi was taken aback—this seemed too good to be true. "Yeah right. And what's the catch—I die?"

"Far from it," Maleficent replied sincerely. "The price is minimal—I have had enough of Ruxik. I think it is high time he falls, and of course, three Keybladers would certainly turn the odds against him, no?" She tried to hide a smile at how easily her lies came.

Kairi fell for the story completely; she brought Oathkeeper down to her side and relaxed. "I'm listening."

* * *

Riku too slept poorly; Kairi's anguish weighed heavily on his mind. _This is more than grief—this could be really bad. She could put herself in danger…she's not even thinking rationally anymore. _Eventually he gave up trying to sleep and went outside, hoping that walking by the ocean would calm him down; the waves had always entranced him. He had not walked far before a gleam of light caught his eyes—he looked upwards and gasped in wonder. "A shooting star—_two_!"

It was true—two bright white spheres were falling to the earth, but what was truly wondrous about them was how they fell. They seemed to gradually increase and decrease in brightness; over time Riku could see that somehow they were flying around each other in a helix shape. It was a truly beautiful sight to behold, and Riku could not tear his eyes away from it. Time continued to pass, and he could see the differences between the two spheres: one was significantly larger with a notable tail, but the smaller one was somehow much brighter—after only a few minutes it blinded Riku.

Eventually the beautiful flight seemed to stop; Riku rubbed his eyes and looked again, but he saw the same thing—the comets had stopped in midair. Then suddenly the smaller one's light became less blinding; it seemed to have turned away. Riku's gaze followed the comet before another light brought him back to reality. The larger comet was getting brighter and brighter—closer and closer. Riku could not help but stare at its glory until a thought struck him. _Is it just me, or is it coming really close…to me?_ He finally tore his eyes away and ran back towards his house. He looked out a window and to his horror saw that the comet had changed trajectory.

_What is this?! Some trick of Ruxik's, no doubt. _He left his house again and starting sprinting, constantly staring at the comet and realizing hopelessly that the comet was still following him.

_I can't escape it…can I deflect it? _"**ULTIMA REFLEGA**!" A huge white orb appeared around him, and he stood confidently within it. _No way this thing can get through this._

An oddly familiar voice broke the silence with one word. "Dispel." And suddenly the Reflega disappeared.

Now Riku was completely panicking. He cast the spell again, but it was again Dispelled. He tried again, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice, and realized that somehow it was the comet that was speaking.

_Well, whatever it is, it's got me beat._ He waited for his inevitable death as the comet inched closer and closer. He closed his eyes and braced himself…

A dull thud sounded to his right. Realizing that he was still alive, he opened his eyes and relaxed. He saw what looked like a strangely human figure in a cloud of sand. As it dissipated, he could make out more features: white vest over black shirt, khaki pants, spiky blond hair…_Could it be? He looks a heck of a lot like…_

The figure stood up, brushing the sand off its clothes and coughing out sand. It stared at Riku for a while before speaking.

"Jeez, it's only been a year, and you've forgotten who I am? Nice to know _I _meant something around here."

Riku was completely dumbfounded. He gasped, staring at what must have been a dream. He pinched himself, but he was still standing there, staring at…

"Roxas?"

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I hope I made up for it! Reviews are awesome!_


	31. Roxas's Story

_A/N: Thanks to Psycho Kitty Alchemist, singintoyourself, Legendary Chimera (x3!!!), Phoenix of the Darkness, japaneserockergirl and RikuLover211 for reviewing! Special thanks to Legendary Chimera for the story alert and favorite story adds, to Doom Night Mel for the story alert add and to XIII Riku for the favorite story add!_

_I own nothing but my OCs. Lyrics are courtesy of Underoath._

**XXXI. Roxas's Story**

_The cycle never really ends 'till they admit, they admit that it's real__  
Everything, everything is leaving me wondering, wondering  
__I hate that I'm questioning your everything, everything__  
This is how it seems to me__  
I've drowned myself in self-regret__  
This is how I want to be  
This can't be how I want to be!_**  
Underoath—"The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed"**

"Yes, that's my name! Good job!" The boy dusted off his shirt once more before clapping overly enthusiastically.

Riku still could not believe his eyes. In some ways Roxas had hardly changed at all. He still he wore a white vest over a black zipper-heavy t-shirt, baggy khaki pants and sneakers of black and gray; his blond hair was still spiked in a dozen directions; and he was still built like an athlete. Yet something struck Riku. Roxas's bright blue eyes were no longer so full of life and youth; they seemed like they had seen too much of the world, and they were tinged with gray. His arms bore thin scars, and a burn mark stood out on his palms. Yet he still had an amused grin on his face as he watched Riku fail to comprehend what he saw.

"What…how…why…when…GAH!" Riku threw his arms in frustration. "I'm going crazy. You're dead. I'm not…am I? What happened?"

"Um, obviously, Naminé bust Oblivion open, and I left," Roxas replied nonchalantly. "I thought this would be the first place to visit, but judging by this greeting party, I guess I'm not welcome…"

"I didn't say that!" Riku cried indignantly. "I mean…what is going on?!"

"Already told you."

"Did you really think one sentence would satisfy me?"

"I can dream, can't I?" Roxas sighed. "Alright, but let's head inside—I'm not used to places with cold air."

"Cold? We're on a freaking beach!"

"Oblivion doesn't have ANY temperature—everything feels weird to me."

"Huh?"

"See, this is what I'm going to explain when we get inside."

"Fine." Riku turned and walked back towards his house with Roxas following close behind.

"You have your own place, or are your parents going to start asking questions?" Roxas asked.

"I've got my own house. I wanted to leave my folks', and real estate is surprisingly cheap for world-saving heroes," Riku answered, grinning at his own joke.

Roxas laughed lightly as the two entered Riku's house. It was a surprisingly well-kept house, considering a teenage male was its sole resident. The first visible room was a den with a shining black television and gaming console dominating the view, but they passed this by. The boys stopped in a fairly simple kitchen; a sleek black stove was present but rarely used in favor of a small black microwave, and a wooden table with six chairs occupied the center of the room. Riku went to a gray refrigerator and pulled out two soda cans, sliding one across the table to Roxas as both sat down.

"Thanks—haven't eaten in months," he said, drinking half a can's worth in one swallow and sighing contentedly. "So, anyway, you want the full story?"

"Of course. And I have the feeling you'd tell me anyway."

"True. I've been to places you'll hopefully never see—actually, they'd probably kick you out if you tried. Oblivion's a weird place…but I'm getting ahead of myself already." Roxas put down his soda and sat back, hands behind his head—Riku suddenly saw Sora sitting across from him.

"You know how it all starts—Sora's asleep, Ruxik comes in, cuts his chest in half, Kairi comes in screaming…you know this already. Of course, I was in Sora at the time, so I'm messed up too. What Kairi didn't know was that Naminé had gotten there before her. She knew something wasn't right when she couldn't feel Sora's memories anymore, and luckily I outlived him by a few seconds. So anyway I saw her for the last time—had to say farewell and all that, had to hold her once more…" Roxas paused, and Riku considered his own breath obtrusive before the Nobody spoke again. "…You don't need all the details. So I get whisked off to Oblivion—you know that gray orb portal thing we Nobodies use. Well, let me tell you, Naminé is the best girl I could ask for. She saw through this orb. And she saw the gate—the gate to Oblivion. Big, ancient gray thing…but what she saw, I wouldn't have even noticed—a keyhole, like any other door's, but huge. And the shape is a little weird; it seemed too long and too thin. And that's when she gets an idea—Oblivion could be opened with the Keyblade. Specifically, with the Keyblade named after it—that big black one is called Oblivion for a reason."

"Of course there's a complication; this would involve leaving Kairi, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that she didn't take losing Sora well. So she waited for her chance. Kairi found Sora's box of Keychains one day, and while Kairi was fawning over Oathkeeper, Naminé took Oblivion without her noticing. She waited and waited for her chance to find Oblivion, but she couldn't just leave her vessel behind. So she waited, tried to be as comforting as possible, sometimes giving a reality check…it took a few months. Then there was that one day when you two were crashing on a mountain…" Roxas noted Riku's confused expression. "So she didn't tell you, I'm guessing? Well, basically Naminé left to bust me out that day."

"But she told me all of this. What was happening to me is a bit less exciting. As soon as Sora dies, I'm standing in front of this huge gray gate. It's pretty simple: two gray—what's the word?—obelisks, triangular tops, huge gray sphere balancing on top. At the bottom is this tall guy, wearing a long gray trench coat, and even his skin looked a bit gray. He looked pretty old, and his whole was sharp and angular. He had insanely long gray hair—we're talking down to his waist. But anyway, I'm in front of this weird guy, and then he speaks."

"'I am Nihilogos," he says, no emotion whatsoever. "And you?"

"I have no idea what to say, but suddenly I felt compelled to speak. Something about being in his presence makes you suddenly tell the complete truth—or as if someone within you was telling that truth. So I answered, 'I am Roxas, born of Sora.'"

"'Are you a Nobody?' he asks."

"'Yes.'" Here Roxas alternated between his youthful tenor and an exaggerated bass to recall the dialogue.

"'Why are you here?'"

"'Of nothing I was born, and to nothingness I belong, and to nothingness I will return.' Now _that_ was creepy—I kinda shivered a bit."

"'Good. Explain to me why a sphere rests at the top of this gate.'"

"'It shows us Nobodies our nature—as the offspring of nothing, we are all equal in nothingness, as all points are equidistant from the sphere. We have no beginning and no end, like spheres, and we share no destinies with denizens of light or darkness.'"

" 'Very good, you may enter.'" Roxas returned to the role of narrator. "And another gray portal comes up, and I'm suddenly whisked to my own corner of Oblivion. Now this is where it gets hard to describe. That answer I gave Nihilogos was a complete lie—Nobodies aren't equal. Depending on the characters of our vessels, we lean towards light or darkness. Obviously, being born of Sora, I lean towards light. However if I got tossed in a room near, say, Xemnas…it'd be a disaster. So they put the good Nobodies on the right, the bad ones on the left and the neutral ones in the middle. I was apparently a pretty decent guy, so I'm pretty far to the right—but it doesn't really matter. You can't see much in Oblivion anyway—it's all gray and off whites."

"And it feels so weird in there. It's not heaven, it's not hell, it's not like life; you just have this sense of belonging. You humans think of belonging as being where you're happiest. That's not the case for us. We belong to Oblivion—we are made of nothing. We have this sense that we are supposed to be here; it's what we're made for but not necessarily what we want. And nothing ever really changes there, so it's not like you really get used to it; you just accept it. You don't get to walk around or eat or sleep or even really breathe—you just fall. There's nothing to stand on, so gravity takes over. It's not that unpleasant, really; this whole time, you're slowly falling, staring at gray nothingness and left completely alone…it's kinda peaceful. So obviously, I'm thinking a lot. I think of what I've done and challenge myself to see what I can remember just to occupy time—it's hard when Sora takes half of your memories with you." He and Riku laughed lightly. "So eventually I ran out of stuff to think about …except her. I mean, she was everything to me, and indirectly we share a heart. So of course I'm thinking about her for a while (you have no sense of time in there), and all of a sudden there's a big thundering sound."

"Now, this gets my attention. Oblivion is completely and utterly silent. Sound is basically illegal. I thought entering Oblivion just made you deaf. But there I am, hearing some huge rumbling like the whole place is about to collapse. And then I see a light—there's enough light to see in Oblivion, but this is different. It was like staring into the sun. I turned away at first, but the light kept getting brighter—I felt it even with my eyes shut. And then I hear a voice."

"'C'mon, let's get out of here!' And now I think I'm really going insane. It sounds like _her_ voice. I open my eyes, and it hurts like crazy with all the light, but there she is, same as she ever was, but holding Oblivion in her hand. She offers up her other hand, and it burns—hence this," and he revealed his scorched palms. "Light hurts those who've stayed so long in nothingness. But I couldn't let her go again…and besides, there's not really much good that can come out of staying in Oblivion. So off we go, going right through the hole she made in the place. And I'm ecstatic, as you might guess, but I have a million questions. How'd she find Oblivion alive? How'd she get in? Did anyone resist her? Well, apparently…I drew her to me. Once you're in the World That Never Was, it's not hard to find Oblivion, apparently. And she just had some weird sixth sense and a good Keyblade—getting in wasn't too hard, and no one dared to stop her. So basically we just flew back here—I asked about how she could fly, obviously. She's not really sure; she said something about her love for me, which I obviously don't buy, but I don't have a better answer. So anyway…we flew here. She was trying to land by Kairi, but something stopped her—we're not sure what it was. It seemed like Kairi wasn't in a particularly great mood…but anyway, here I am."

Riku sat in silence, pondering all he had been told. After the silence had started to become awkward, he spoke up. "So if you got out…can anyone else?"

Roxas shrugged. "It's possible, but like I said, we're all kind of separated. It'd take them forever to find it…but anyway, I'm surprised you haven't asked me another question."

"What's there to ask?" Riku retorted. "I have a feeling I can't make sense of this if I'm not a Nobody."

"True. But you haven't asked why I'm back."

"Because Naminé brought you here."

"No, that's _how_ I got here. Why am I here? I'm here to bring Sora back to life."

Riku spat out his mouthful of soda. "You're kidding, right?"

"No joke. Naminé saw that Kairi was not going to go on without Sora—it had become too much for her. She could live without me—she's tougher than Kairi. But Kairi couldn't live without Sora. So that's what told her that she had to get me—that and her undying devotion for me." Roxas smiled at his exaggeration.

"But…but…will it work?" Riku asked frantically. "What do you have to do?"

"I think all I have to do is get back inside him. Maybe a little magic with the Keyblade couldn't hurt," Roxas replied.

"Well, then…that's a problem," Riku replied. "We don't know where Sora's body is."

"Didn't you bury him?"

"We did."

"Then dig up the grave!"

"Ruxik's played some dirty tricks with his body."

"Ruxik who?"

"My Nobody. Apparently that thing with Xehanort way back made a Nobody, and he's pretty much the definition of evil. He actually took over this whole world…it was all inhabited by Heartless until…oh boy, I've got some explaining to do." He discussed all that had happened since Sora's death that Naminé hadn't already told, and Roxas nodded slowly at intervals.

"So basically…we have no idea where his body is."

"The last time I saw was on an island a day or so away from here. But who knows? I honestly don't know where it is…don't you have some kind of Nobody-vessel sense?"

"I wish," Roxas sighed. "This is not going to be easy…if it works."

"Well, it'll make Kairi happy when I tell her."

"NO!" Roxas shouted suddenly, pounding a fist on the table. Riku looked up in confusion. "Naminé told me to make sure she didn't know. If I don't bring him back to life, Kairi will be even worse than she is now…we can't raise her hopes and crush them."

"Is that really your reason?" This didn't make any sense to Riku.

"Yeah. This was from Naminé. She knows her. The risk is too great, and she's already pretty unstable. If we raise her hopes again and it turns out I'm wrong, it might be…fatal."

"Suicide? From her?"

"Hey, you've seen her. You know how she's taking it."

"Awfully."

"Exactly."

Riku cringed. "Point taken. I just wish I could tell her…"

"Don't. Keep it quiet. I'll search for him, and if it works it'll be a nice surprise for her. If it doesn't work…let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Yeah, no kidding."

There was silence for a few minutes; Riku stared at the table in shock, and Roxas had nothing to say. Then—"So, where's his body?"

"I told you, I don't know."

"Well then, where was it last?"

"A day or so that way," Riku said, pointing northwest. "But it was by the ocean. It could be at sea right now…"

"Good thing I don't need to breathe," Roxas replied. "Well, I guess I'd better get started." He walked out of Riku's house in the direction he had pointed, saying nothing.

Riku shook his head, barely comprehending what he had seen. _It's too good to be true. Nobodies can't resurrect people from the dead…right?_

* * *

Maleficent's smirk never left her face. "You seem much more willing to talk than the last time we met. I made the same proposal months ago, and you hardly let me speak."

"Things have changed," Kairi replied dully. "Tell me this—why exactly do you want Sora back?"

"I want Ruxik eliminated," Maleficent answered. "At first I became his accomplice thinking I could claim his power quite easily, but he has proven himself quite strong. You do not realize the true magnitude of him summoning Omegasis—I can think of only three that have summoned him and lived, and none could control him as he did. He can channel both darkness and oblivion; he fused with legions of Heartless and slew the Guardians." Kairi let out a small gasp. "Personally I did not believe they were that important…but I digress. My point is, as shamed as I am to admit it, I cannot take down Ruxik on my own. From what I have seen Riku cannot either, and I can assume with Sora gone, you are not in fighting shape."

Kairi opened her mouth to protest but fell silent—the witch was right. "Don't you think then that we'd turn on you next?"

"Have you no gratitude?" Maleficent responded with exaggerated shock. "Is there no honor among the Keybladers?"

"Not for your kind." Kairi was beginning to acquire an edge to her voice.

"Are you already dismissing my proposal? You do not even know what it is," Maleficent taunted.

Immediately Kairi fell silent again. "Continue."

The demoness smiled. "Better. The method of bringing one back from the dead with the Keyblade is an ancient one, and even I had to research a great deal to recall it. Yet it is not very complicated, considering that you two shared hearts. All that you must give up is a fraction of your own heart; and yes, some of your power will go with it, but I am sure you will easily recover it on your own. Certain lines must be recited—this will ensure that your focus is entirely on your beloved—and then you must plunge the Keyblade into your heart. It is fortunate that you possess this particular blade; yours and Riku's have power over hearts, while Mickey's and Sora's control the door to darkness. Regardless, there will be some pain, but as the Keyblade is not a normal sword, you shall not die, and the outpouring of your love will awaken Sora's heart."

"That sounds really hokey."

"It is. But it is nonetheless effective, and there is no other way to resurrect him—unless you would prefer to have him as a Heartless or a zombie, and in my humble opinion that would require far too much effort for very poor results. So—what say you?"

Kairi was silent for some time. She stared at Oathkeeper, she stared at her prom dress (which she was still wearing), she stared at the pictures in her mind of every moment she had spent with him…and then she stared at Maleficent's gaunt pale figure, twisted black horns, the frayed black robe, and she remember all she had done. _She's lying. I know she's lying somewhere. But maybe there's something true. Ruxik is incredibly powerful. Maybe she really is that desperate to get rid of him. And I know we could get rid of her afterwards…but what if I really do end up dying?_ _Well, I still see Sora, right? But just to be sure…_

"Prove to me that if I did this, I'd live through it."

_She is growing weaker by the second_. "As you wish." Maleficent waved a hand and summoned a beaker with a strange light blue liquid. "This is the most powerful truth serum I know to exist. One drop forces the drinker to answer any one question completely truthfully. I shall prove it to you—have a drop." She summoned a small cup, poured the viscous potion into it and handed it to Kairi. With some suspicion she drank a drop, and she shivered—it was colder than ice, and she felt her whole body become colder.

"What shall I ask of you that shall persuade you of its power?" Maleficent pondered. "Ah, yes. To what extent have you and Sora been physically involved?"

"First base," Kairi replied in a monotone. With that the potion's effect wore off, and her face contorted in anger. "Did you really have to ask _that_ question?!"

"I really have no concern for such matters. But it did prove to you that this potion was effective. And now you will know that I will speak the truth." She took the cup from Kairi and consumed hardly two drops of the liquid. She felt the familiar chill before looking Kairi in the eye, waiting for the question.

Kairi thought hard, desperately attempting to keep her question free of possible loopholes—she still didn't fully trust Maleficent and had a vague feeling she wouldn't drink the potion twice. Her mind raced as the witch continued to stand silently. Finally she spoke. "By plunging this Keyblade into my heart to save Sora as you have said, will I die or be otherwise harmed?"

"No," Maleficent replied flatly. Her freedom of speech and thought returned to her, and her smirk appeared once more. Yet she spoke in an uncharacteristically pleasant tone. "So, do you trust me? Wait—I know the answer to that. Do you trust this potion? Think of Sora. Think of how hard life has been without him. Think of how easy it will be once Ruxik has fallen. It is nearly a perfect proposal for you; you will have your beloved all to yourself, and a great evil will be eliminated. If that does not sway you…I will never lift a finger to harm you, Riku or Sora as long as any of you remains alive." She hoped vehemently that Kairi would not realize that she had omitted King Mickey…she was not willing to leave Disney Castle occupied by such a dolt.

Kairi was silent for some time aside from whines of mental exertion. Then… "I need more time. I can't tell you just yet. You know I don't trust you…but…"

"I understand," Maleficent said rather kindly. "Feel no pressure. But of course I cannot remain by your side until your decision is made, so have this." She waved her hand, and a small card designed with black and green flames appeared. "When you have made your decision, speak my name into this card, and I will come to bring you to the World That Never Was--Ruxik is under the impression that I _am_ trying to eliminate you, so he will witness your sacrifice should you choose to do so. But fear not; what he imagines will not come to pass…should you decide to save him. I will give you as much time as you need, of course. And with that, I bid you farewell, Princess." She snapped her fingers, and black and green flames consumed her and disappeared.

Kairi was left alone, staring at the card as the clock struck two. _It's too good to be true. Something's not right._

_But Sora could come back to life…and so could I. _

* * *

Maleficent found the castle relatively empty. She eventually found her way to the Altar of Naught which had been replaced by the Master Forge. Ruxik was busily hammering away at a piece of black metal shaped like a battleaxe and lined with silver stripes. Nearby stood a black diamond made of four short metal rods and a thick black pole, all with thick silver stripes and several rings of what looked like Orichalcum. Maleficent was rather impressed at the artistry of what she saw, but said nothing for a while—Ruxik was intent on perfecting the axe-shaped piece. Finally he turned his head. "How'd it go?"

"We are waiting on her decision. Most likely she will soon be in our hands," the witch replied. "She thinks I am some sort of double agent, and resurrecting Sora is part of my plan to eliminate you. She hardly put up a fight…I was almost disappointed. All it took was a few tricks with a truth potion, really."

Ruxik laughed. "Yes, this has been a good night, hasn't it? And Omega Dawn will be complete before the sun sets again. The pieces are all falling into place…except I hadn't counted on every Nobody escaping from Oblivion."

A thought struck Maleficent. "Could that include…Roxas?"

"I'm sure it did. But let's not focus on him. Perhaps the Keybladers don't know of his rebirth. If they have reunited, then he can't be our main focus—I'm too close to completing Omega Dawn to leave it now. No, all we need to do is wait. We're so close…my plans are so near fruition…" His eyes began to glaze over, and he snapped himself back to attention. "But enough of that. Omega Dawn must be finished, or else none of this will mean anything." He returned to his hammering, and Maleficent took this as her cue to leave.

_So both sides think I'm supporting them. The fools. They should know better than to trust me. _

_You have underestimated him before._

_I'm not underestimating him now. I know what he's capable of…and his own success will be his downfall. This plan is foolproof._

_

* * *

__A/N: Reviews are the definition of awesome. Well, not really, but pretty close!_


	32. Ultimatum

_A/N: Thanks to Keyx Valentine (x13! HOLY CRAP!!!!), Psycho Kitty Alchemist, japaneserockergirl, singintoyourself and Legendary Chimera for reviewing; thanks to Keyx Valentine and Electron Beam for the story alert adds, and special thanks to Keyx Valentine and MiSs DaYdReAmEr the favorite story adds! _

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Underoath. My OCs are mine unless you ask nicely. Without further ado…_

**XXXII. Ultimatum**

_This is spinning perfect little circles__  
And it's all that they know__  
They just spin in perfect little circles__  
And it's all that they know…__  
Nothing's right just left alone; sinking in will be just fine  
None of them will ever know; none of them will ever know_

**Underoath—"The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed"**

A month passed after that cataclysmic night, and that was quite a strange one for Riku and Kairi. Both knew that the other was hiding something, but nobody was willing to talk. Kairi spent most of her time alone in what she called deep thought, but more accurately, she was causing herself more stress. Normally she was impulsive and whimsical; this decision required intense thought and planning, and this only frustrated her. Every day she looked at every picture of Sora, recalled every precious memory…and then pictured Maleficent laughing like a demon, staring at a dead girl with a Keyblade in her chest. She could believe that Maleficent was trying to get rid of Ruxik—but she would never stoop so low as to honestly trust a sworn enemy. But then again did the fact that she was so evil mean she treated enmity with the same low regard as honor? Could there possibly be truth in her? That truth potion had been quite effective—it had wrangled out an answer to a question Kairi never would have answered under normal circumstances. And she had made sure there would be no loopholes…

And so a wave of questions came again, increasing her stress level further. And she couldn't discuss this with Riku. Every time anyone tried to help her with Sora-related issues, it ended in some sort of emotional breakdown. Was she incapable of life without Sora? When he died, did he take the part of the heart that they shared with him? If that was true, could she even try to live without him? That couldn't be right—she was the Keyblade Master and a former Princess of Heart. But she had only acquired the first title through Sora's death (and Riku probably deserved it more anyway), and Sora's death had (indirectly) made her lose the second. Everything seemed to some way involve Sora…was this a sign? Was she supposed to bring him back? After all, she was still technically a Princess of Heart; she just didn't have any royal powers. Certainly bringing back a great hero of light like Sora would earn her points with the Princesses…but would this plan even work? At this point in her mental struggle she would realize that her train of thought had gone in a complete circle, and she would sigh in defeat.

Over time she came to one conclusion: if this plan could succeed, Sora had to be resurrected—she had sworn an oath, and maybe she could still fulfill it. So one burden was lifted from her mind. One remained: would Maleficent's plan lead to fulfillment of the oath? This she could not decide.

Riku had a similarly intense mental conflict. At first he had remained silent because he thought Roxas would only take a few days to find Sora's body. A week passed, but he remained confident. After the second week he started to panic. He saw a malaise come over Kairi; if something didn't happen soon, there would be trouble. In desperation he responded the way most males do to a female problem: throw extravagance at it. He secretly messaged friends from other worlds to invite Kairi in attempts to lighten her mood. She saw grand fireworks in the Land of Dragons, viewed Agrabah from the skies with Genie and the magic carpet, swam underwater as a half-dolphin in Atlantica…the list went on and on, and nothing seemed to change. Riku was panicking but did his best to suppress it—he knew an emotional explosion would bode poorly. And Roxas still didn't return—he didn't send any form of message or contact. Riku began to fear that Sora's body was out at sea which would mean it could be years before he was found. Once again he secretly petitioned help from his friends, thinking he simply may have sent Roxas in the wrong direction, but after a week of constant searching they still had not found his body. And Riku was getting anxious. One afternoon found him sick of keeping all of his anxiety to himself, and so he engaged in a mental battle with the ancient Keyblader who inhabited him.

_Darythas, he's taking too long. I know something's wrong with Kairi, and I don't think hiding this from her is a good thing._

_Do you not trust Roxas?_

_I trust him…but I think I'm on a tight schedule._

_Then you must say something to her._

_Every time you say that, it goes horribly wrong._

_Then do not say that you know what is best for her. Express concern. Be sympathetic. The last thing she needs right now is instruction. I had a wife, remember? Experience has taught me how this works. And I have seen what happens when love is left to run awry. The consequences are horrible beyond words._

_I think the circumstances are a little different here, Darythas._

_Perhaps. But patience does not seem to be helping the situation—the time has come for direct action. _

_But she knows I'm hiding something from her, and I know she's hiding something from me. How much can we say without me revealing Roxas's plan? He's right—if she knows about it and it doesn't work, then she's gone. _

_Just offer her sympathy—there's no need to discuss future plans._

Riku sighed. _I should probably go do that now, then. Strike while the iron is hot and all that._

_I will guide you as much as I can._ With that Darythas fell silent, and Riku became reacquainted with a less occupied mind. By now evening was starting to fall, and a refreshing breeze blew through his dark green t-shirt and denim shorts. He sighed, and the salt air filled his lungs—this would not be easy. He walked through the sand towards Kairi's house (she had also benefited from the 'world-saving hero' discount) and knocked on the door with some hesitation. It was a few seconds before he heard footsteps and saw Kairi through the doorway. Her grief had clearly taken a toll on her—the dark rings of an insomniac outlined her eyes, her hair was rather unkempt (quite a surprise for her), and she was wearing an untidy black t-shirt and torn jeans. She was a picture of stress and depression, and considering Kairi's typically bubbly personality, this only served to upset Riku even further.

"Oh, hey, Riku," she replied in an attempt at nonchalance. "What's up?"

"Not a lot…I just think we need to talk." Riku braced himself.

"Alright, shoot." Kairi felt dread in her stomach—she knew she couldn't hide this from him forever, but it was worth a try, right?

"It's about you and Sora…"

"This is going to take a while; isn't it?" With that she sighed and gestured for Riku to come inside. He followed her into a den that held little more than two sofas and a large television screen. As she sat in one across from Riku, she sighed again. Many a movie had been watched here with her head on Sora's chest…_Don't give him any hints._

"Alright, start talking."

Riku was silent for a second before he opened his mouth. "Look. I've seen you get more and more depressed lately. I know stuff has happened with Sora. But I'm getting concerned. I'm not trying to offer advice—we all know what happens when I pretend I know what I'm doing. I'm just really worried about you—I just want to help if I can."

Kairi said nothing for some time. She almost felt like crying, not just from her general depression but from Riku's touching concern; she almost felt like she had a brother. But her fear of opening up kept her silent. "Well, thanks…but unless you can resurrect the dead, I don't know if there's much you can do."

_Oh, why can't I tell her?!_ "Unfortunately, I can't. Anything else I can do that's a little more possible?"

Kairi looked around the room, avoiding Riku's eyes for almost a minute. When she spoke, Riku could hear her have trouble maintaining composure. "You've done a lot, Riku. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if you weren't here. Ruxik probably would have killed me, for one. But at least…"

Her façade fell. Her face fell into her hands as tears streamed forth and sobs racked her body. Immediately Riku walked over to her and draped a comforting arm over her shoulder.

"Riku, it's just so awful! I know I'm a mess and I'm overreacting and making life miserable for you, but I can't live without him! He meant everything to me—and now he's gone, and I've tried everything and I still can't forget him! Every time I'm close, something terrible happens—his body's gone, my friends leave, I lose the one thing that might have let me save him…" Here she could not speak for a few seconds as sobs took over her vocal chords. "I know this is all Ruxik's tricks, but I'm desperate. I can't tell you how much I loved him…"

"I think I can guess, judging by how much it's hurt you."

Kairi sniffled as more tears fell. "How can you put up with this? You wanted me for so long…"

"How could I steal you from Sora? Especially after what I did to you…look, let's not talk about that." Riku worked furiously to repress the memories. "Kairi, all I want is for you to be happy again. I don't think I can give you all the answers…just know that I'm here for you. I'm not Sora, but I still care about you."

Nothing was said for some time until Kairi suddenly threw her arms around Riku in a bear hug. "Riku, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that…I've seen so many people leave me lately. I didn't even know how much that had hurt…but thanks." She squeezed tighter, and Riku did as well. No longer was her happiness a lie—she honestly felt like her old self. She couldn't stop smiling for some time. At one point she heard Tidus and Wakka swimming in the ocean and felt a compulsive urge to join them; she went upstairs to change as Riku went to his own house to do the same.

As he left, Kairi faced the age-old dilemma: _What the heck am I going to wear?!_ She went through her closet before settling on a simple black bikini—_Who's going to care? _She was absolutely jubilant as she walked out the door to join her raucous friends in the water.

* * *

"GAH!" Ruxik shouted, letting out a torrent of profanities. He had taken a break from working in the Forge to witness what he thought would be Kairi's downfall, but he was quite annoyed with this turn of events. "Maleficent! I thought you said she was close to joining us!"

Maleficent's scowl grew deeper. _I hate when he whines._ "This was unexpected. And I'm not sure if it will last—it can't be that easy for Riku. I believe she's emotionally unstable."

"You mean the Keyblade Master…is bipolar?"

"No. But she's been in such a state for so long, she will cling to even the smallest shred of happiness. She might even try to rebound off of Riku—who knows?"

"Now _that_ I don't want. That'll screw up everything," Ruxik said emphatically as his mind raced through the possibilities. Then he snapped his fingers as one struck him. "If she's so unstable…what do you think the sudden appearance of her dead boyfriend will do?"

Maleficent pondered this briefly. "Again? It could do very little…or it could completely devastate her. Perhaps now is not the time—let the initial joy wear off. Give it a day or so."

Ruxik sighed angrily. "We've waited long enough. Get it done as soon as possible." Without another word he returned to the Forge, and the rhythmic sound of hammering echoed through the castle.

The witch sighed as she scanned the Islands through her crystalline sphere. _Where could it be?_

* * *

Kairi smiled, shaking her head to unleash a torrent of water from her hair. She and the other islanders had tired themselves out in the ocean and were returning to their respective homes. A cold night breeze chilled her bikini-clad body, and so she quickened her pace. Yet her smile remained for some time despite the cold. At one point during her stroll the wind ceased, and she stood silently, absorbing the beauty of the ocean at night. She had sat here with Sora more times than she could count, yet none of these came to mind—she was simply ecstatic with the world around her.

After some time something caught her eye; several times waves had crept back to the ocean in an odd fashion. Something seemed to be obstructing them, and out of curiosity Kairi looked in that direction. It seemed to be a piece of driftwood, but it was rather large. Again inquisitiveness took over her, so she went to examine it.

It took a little while before the shock hit her. At first she had dimly recognized a human figure. Soon she realized it was a young man and a fairly handsome one at that. By this point her terror of death hit her, and then she fell face first in the wet sand.

The body was Sora's. Again.

All of the joy she had known for the past few hours drained away in an instant. Sora's deathly pallor had somehow become an angelic glow. The salt water that bathed his body only enhanced this effect, and Kairi could not resist the pangs of reborn love that it triggered.

_Everything Riku caused-- fake. I can't be happy without him. I can lie, I can be distracted, I can look to my friends…but I'll keep ending up like this. I don't care if this is some trick of Ruxik's…it's working. There's no point to this. I have to try to bring him back…having him is all that matters. _

She lifted her head, now stained with tears and sand, to gaze upon her dead lover. Instinctively (her sanity was waning) she gave his cold lips a gentle kiss. _Don't worry…I'll see you again soon._ She ran back to her house and found Maleficent's card, looking deep into the swirling pattern of black and green. She was about to call the witch when a thought struck her. _How can I possibly go through with this wearing a bikini?!_ She looked through her closet quickly before another thought entered her head. _We said we loved each other…at prom. Well, what could be more appropriate than this?_ She looked at her prom gown, still hanging in her closet. It was still spotless and perfectly wearable, and its symbolic nature made it quite appealing, and so she removed the beautiful dress from its hanger.

Quickly she showered and changed into the nearly translucent pale blue gown—it was slightly more difficult to do so with the muscle she had gained as a Keyblader, but it still fit well. Somehow her mind wandered to a different problem. _They Keyblade will probably tear it a bit…oh well, that's not important. _She looked at herself in the mirror and desperately tried to put her hair up in some relatively ornate style—this was rather difficult without another person, but a few Aeros aided her. A few minutes were spent applying makeup before she decided that she was beautiful enough for her Sora. She sat silently in her room staring at Maleficent's card, calming her nerves with a few deep breaths.

_Everything I do, I do for you, Sora._ One more deep breath—"Maleficent!"

Hardly a second passed before the witch appeared. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Why, you look stunning--again. Is it a formal occasion to have me appear in your home?"

Kairi maintained an emotionless face. "Don't kid yourself—this is for Sora."

"I take it that you have decided to resurrect him?"

"Yes."

"Then come, let us go. Ruxik and I have been waiting—though with different intentions, of course. He still thinks this act will end your life, so do not say anything that will convince him that he is wrong. Otherwise he will most likely slay both of us. But worry not; focus on your lover. This will ensure that the ritual resurrects Sora and does not kill you; it all hinges on your thoughts. But enough of this. I will tell you more when we arrive." She waved her skeletal hand, and a portal of black and green appeared. She entered it slowly, and Kairi followed, doing her best to focus only on Sora. To her surprise she did not feel any sadness at the torrent of memories this time—she felt only joy and a fierce determination to have Sora back in her arms. Almost subconsciously she summoned Oathkeeper and gazed upon it.

_I swore to bring you back, Sora. That was my oath. And now I'll finally fulfill it. I'm sorry you've had to wait so long, but soon you'll be alive again…_

Maleficent saw this out of the corner of her eye and laughed quietly. _She has lost her wits entirely. This is almost too easy. Ruxik may actually have planned something well for a change._ The portal vanished and was replaced by the whitewashed walls of Castle Oblivion in seconds.

"Ruxik! Come, we must prepare for our guest!"

Ruxik came running, sweating from heat of the Forge. "Oh, it seems like we have company!" He adopted a debonair attitude that would have disturbed Kairi quite a bit had she not been trying to devote her focus to Sora. "Well, I must say you look marvelous. Now, why don't you find somewhere comfortable and sit tight and focus on your dear Sora?" He reached out his arm as if to take hers but recoiled at a fierce glare from Kairi. "Ahem, pardon me…I will return in a moment." He began to walk awkwardly towards the stairs to the Forge before being stopped by Maleficent.

"You are completely ridiculous!"

"It's all part of the façade, Maleficent. Yes, I'm overacting. Yes, I'm actually enjoying it. But this has to be classy…look at her! She's in a freaking ball gown!"

"What happened to class?"

"She can't hear me. Look, Omega Dawn is almost complete. Just buy time. My vessel could show up any minute. Just ham up the ritual stuff!" He continued on his way without another word.

Maleficent sighed as she approached Kairi who was standing motionless and silent near a wall. "Disregard him. He is otherwise occupied. Just focus on Sora. You can only bring him to life if you focus entirely on him."

Kairi nodded without a word. Memories of every slow dance, every warm embrace, every soft kiss, every loving word…all raced through her mind uninterrupted. _Wait for me, Sora._

* * *

Riku swore as Way to the Dawn flew through Kairi's window a second too late. He had taken a little longer than his friends to leave the ocean, and he had seen Sora's body. Instinctively he ran to find Kairi, but when he came to her house, she did not answer the door. Riku kept knocking and shouting her name for some time before walking around the house; he realized that she was changing. He waited for her to finish—until he heard her call Maleficent. Instinctively he readied his Keyblade and observed the meeting, gasping at the mention of bringing Sora to life. He saw her beckon her into a portal and immediately threw his blade, but it was to no avail. Immediately he ran into her house, grabbed Kairi's cell phone and called Donald Duck—he needed the Gummi Ship. He paced furiously as he waited.

_Not good. Not good. She's gone completely insane. I knew she missed him…but I thought she was fine. I thought she had a chance._

_Remember what I told you about Naïrle and myself? Love uncontrolled inspires absurd actions. I did not suspect that she would be Ruxik's target at first, but the principle applies. Somehow you will have to convince her that whatever Maleficent and Ruxik are planning is truly not in her best interests._

_But I heard her say she could resurrect Sora. What more could she want?_

_Convince her that the methods involved will not work. Failing that, remind her whom she is trusting. Surely their word means little to her. Or do what you did at her house—show her that others care._

_That didn't work too well last time. If only I could tell her about Roxas!_

_You have seen how easily she falls from great heights into great depths. Roxas and Naminé were right—we cannot risk it, lest such a crisis as this reoccur. But enough of her—you must prepare yourself. You will almost certainly have to fight both Ruxik and Maleficent whether you save Kairi or not. _

_Yeah, I figured. Let's just hope I'm not doing it alone._

With that the Gummi Ship Highwind arrived. Donald and Goofy were waiting within it with worried expressions; the former spoke first. "What's wrong, Riku?"

"It's Kairi. Take me to the World That Never Was."

"Is it something with that Ruxik feller?" Goofy asked as Donald pressed a few buttons.

"Yes. Don't try to fight with me—he'll tear you apart. I'll have to do this alone…maybe with Kairi. Tell the King to keep the castle guarded. If Kairi and I should die, you and the King are the worlds' last hope." Riku spoke briskly and gravely and earned no response. The Gummi's Warp Drive led him to the World That Never Was in seconds, and with a brief thanks he walked out onto the Altar of Naught.

He walked down a few stairways, listening intently for activity. Soon he heard some through a door, and he opened it so he could just see into the room. He had guessed correctly—Ruxik, Maleficent and Kairi were present. Ruxik was slowly pacing around the room, his double-bladed staff in hand. Maleficent stood by Kairi, whispering in her ear. Yet Riku's eyes were drawn to Kairi. She was absolutely gorgeous—except for her expression that nearly moved Riku to despondent tears. She lacked all emotion and barely seemed to know that there was a world around her.

He had seen that look before—when he had tried to take her heart for his own.

_No. I'm stronger than that now. Sora saved her then—he's not here. I won't let her—or him—down. _He brusquely opened the door and felt four eyes stare at him in shock. The room fell completely silent until Riku spoke three words, shaking with rage with each one.

"Let. Her. Go."

* * *

_A/N: I still love cliffhangers. Reviews are awesome!_


	33. At Your Darkest

_A/N: Thanks to Psycho Kitty Alchemist, an anonymous reviewer who I'm guessing is singintoyourself, japaneserockergirl and Legendary Chimera for reviewing! Thanks also to XIII Riku for the story alert add!_

_This chapter has a special significance—this is the scene around which I created the story. I have a tendency to imagine the end of the story and think "Okay, that's cool…how'd they get there?" And so you have Omega Dawn. Also the song lyrics used throughout (if my memory serves me correct) inspired this scene. _

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I do own Ruxik. Lyrics belong to As Cities Burn, specifically the song "Of Want and Misery: The Nothing That Kills" which appears on the album __Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest__. All centered text in italics is taken from that song's lyrics. Without further ado, here's the chapter I've been waiting to write for almost two years!_

**XXXIII. At Your Darkest**

_I watched you float away on a wave of want and misery__  
Now I've got to find you__  
I watched you float away on whatever caught your eye__  
Now I've got to find you__  
'Cause I've got to keep your head above the water  
While the current pulls me under_

"Let. Her. Go."

Riku's words rang through the room. Maleficent and Ruxik stared in shock while Kairi stared blankly at the wall. Riku forced his attention away from her and onto his Nobody; eventually he recovered his debonair attitude.

"Riku, my boy—"

_Boy?! He's half of me!_

"—your words would suggest that Kairi here is being held here against her will. On the contrary her decision to arrive here was entirely her own. I could argue that by being here it is _you_ that is attempting to act against her will."

"Stop pretending to have class, Ruxik," Riku spat in reply. "You and I both know this is all a trick!"

"How do you know, Riku?" Ruxik replied smoothly. "What do you think is unfolding here? She is merely trying to resurrect Sora. Do you not want this? Do you still long to have Kairi for your own? That's rather selfish of a champion of light, if I do say so myself."

"This has nothing to do with romance!" Riku shouted. "I will not let you kill her!"

"Did you not hear me?" Ruxik answered, now approaching Riku while brandishing his staff. "We are not here to end life but to restore it. Sora will soon walk on these worlds again. Do you not want this? Have you forgotten your friendship so quickly?"

"I want nothing more than to see him alive again," Riku said defiantly as he drew Way to the Dawn. "But this won't resurrect him. You and I both know you're lying!"

"Why do you insist on arguing with me?" Ruxik sighed despondently before turning to Kairi. "I say we let her decide."

"You've probably brainwashed her already."

"Far from it. She is merely focused on her lover so that this ritual will work. But I can interrupt her should you so desire. Maleficent!" He turned to his accomplice. "Tell our guest that Riku does not believe what has led to this was Kairi's doing."

Maleficent nodded and snapped her fingers twice. Kairi blinked rapidly before turning to the witch, shuddering at the gaunt visage that contrasted so starkly with Sora's beauty. She looked around the rest of the room and paused at Riku. _Crap. I didn't even think about him showing up…_ "Riku! Why are you here?"

"Trying to stop this madness. They're trying to tell me that it was _you_ who thinks you can resurrect Sora here." Riku stood confidently, waiting for Kairi to confess to her captivity.

"They're right." Kairi remained emotionless as Riku's knees buckled.

"What was that?"

"They're right, Riku. This will bring Sora back to life. All I have to do is stab here—" (she pointed Oathkeeper to her heart) "—think of Sora, and my heart will go out to him and bring him back. It will work, I promise."

Riku was dumbfounded. "Are you serious?! What have they done to you? You can't believe this!"

"Riku…I believe it."

Once again a simple sentence nearly sent Riku to his knees.

"I can't live without him, Riku. What choice do I have? I can spend the rest of my life in misery, breaking down every time I think of him, or I can try to bring him back. I give up some of my power to do so—I can get it back. If they're wrong and I die—well, then I see Sora in heaven, right? I see nothing wrong with their plans."

"How can you believe _them?!_" Riku pointed at Maleficent first. "_She_ tried to steal your heart and six others to open the Door to Darkness! And _he--"_ (he pointed to Ruxik) "—is the embodiment of everything I hate! He was born from what possessed me to take your heart for my own! How can you _possibly_ trust anyone so vile?"

"Because…I have no other choice, Riku."

"You can't be serious…"

"I am. Sora means everything to me. I love him more than anyone can understand…more than you can understand. You saw what you did to try to claim me—I will do the same for Sora, but I know he will accept it."

Riku was on the verge of breaking down. _Did she HAVE to bring that up?_

_Focus, Riku. Whether she knows it or not, she is losing her sanity. Show her their fraud. You know the Keyblade cannot resurrect the dead._

_But she'll say this is different. How many Keybladers have shared a heart? She'll say the rules don't apply._

_What happened the last time a Keyblade entered its bearer's heart?_

_When was that? …Sora. And he became a--_

"Well, Riku? Do you believe me now?" Ruxik's voice slowly crept into Riku's mind, dripping with triumph and arrogance.

"Kairi…the last time a Keyblade went into someone's heart…you should know. It was Sora. And what happened to him?"

Ruxik's mind was racing. _He can't possibly have thought of this! Maleficent told me that she had cut out the loopholes!_

"He turned into—"

"**Time, depart!**"

"—a Heartless." Riku waited for a reaction but heard none—Kairi and Maleficent stood like statues in mid-blink. He looked angrily to Ruxik. "Your timing sucks, you know that?"

"My plan has come too far for you to ruin it now," Ruxik answered, any hint of gentility gone. "You seem to have stumbled upon her actual fate; how, I do not know."

"Really? That was a bit of an educated guess, actually," Riku replied in surprise.

_But not one you made on your own._

_Not now, Darythas._

"No matter. You would have discovered it eventually. But it doesn't matter. She believes that this will truly bring her lovebird back to life. You and I cannot convince her otherwise. And I like it better that way."

"We'll see about that…" Riku said angrily. Having little else to say, he suffered a few moments of silence before asking, "So what will happen? Why do you want her as a Heartless instead of just killing her like you killed Sora?"

Ruxik smiled evilly. "I'm glad you asked. I've always wanted to make this plan public, and I finally can—nothing can stop it now."

"I'll tell Kairi everything you say."

"No matter. She won't believe you. But anyway…why didn't I just kill her—and you, for that matter? Simple. If I killed all the Keybladers, the blades would find new masters, and eventually they'd pick bearers that could finish me off. That's just boring. I don't want to just kill you off for the sake of killing—there's no fun in that. No, I want to be fulfilled. You've been indoctrinated by people like the Guardians (whom I killed, by the way)--" (Riku clenched his teeth and gripped his Keyblade until his knuckles were white) "—that our destiny is to find hearts. They have lied. We merely need to be fulfilled. We are only half of a person, maybe less. You cannot understand what it is like to have this constant void in your body. We have no heart, no soul, no existence! And they think that getting a heart is the only way to resolve this—no. Darkness fills the void perfectly. And darkness doesn't make you put up with the silly restrictions you light-lovers place on yourself, so you call us evil. We're not evil, we just chose a different path. A greater path. A path that leads to power that you can never imagine!"

Riku rolled his eyes. "Where is this going?"

"I'm getting to the point. So, power is a good thing, yes? So the ultimate power is the ultimate good for Nobodies like me. And ultimate power is completely unachievable by light—you think power corrupts, so you won't pursue it. But I have been cursed by my half-existence, and unlike your friends, I won't settle for life under this curse—I want the ultimate power. And how else to get it except by conquering the ultimate light? But like I said, you Keybladers just keep on coming back. But what if I had a Keyblade of my own? I'm half of a Keyblader myself, so that'll work, right?"

"You said it yourself—the Keyblade chooses its master. You weren't chosen."

"I didn't say I'd steal a Keyblade. Well, I tried that when I killed Sora, not thinking it'd work, and it didn't. So I went to plan B--make a fifth Keyblade."

"What?! That's…impossible! You need Aexyrthan magic to make one, and they're all dead?"

"Really?" Ruxik said slyly. "Yen Sid gave you the Master Forge a while ago, yes? But what did you do with it? You left it out in the open for me. How nice of you! And the magic is only needed to power the Keyblade—making the blade itself is quite easy."

"What are you talking about?"

Ruxik's smirk spread from ear to ear, and a strange glint lit up his eyes. "Riku, behold—Omega Dawn!" He swung his arm across his body, and a trail of black sparks followed. A strange weapon soon filled his hands; it looked like an elongated battleaxe. The shaft, like much of the weapon, was colored with silver and black stripes like a monochromatic candy cane. The axe-shaped head of the weapon was pure silver, with a wide axe-blade and a smaller, pointed tip. The hilt consisted of a black diamond with a silver line running through its center. It was a beautiful, terrible weapon, but Riku was unconcerned until he saw a small attachment to the bottom of the blade.

A small, nearly translucent dark gray cube hung from several small loops of metal.

A keychain.

After watching his strength nearly fail him twice, Riku finally fell to the ground in shock and despair. "A Keyblade?" he asked weakly.

"Mm-hm," Ruxik replied smugly. "My own design, of course. I think it's rather beautiful, don't you? It took me a long time to make it look like this, you know. But I knew you love it—you inspired it."

"What are you talking about." Riku didn't have enough energy to make this a question.

"Well, where do you think I got this Keyblade's name from? Omega—the last, the end. Dawn—the sign of a new beginning, and a symbol of light. I'm ending what exists and starting something new. Or you could look at it as I'm ending the tyranny of light--take your pick. I like things with dualities and dichotomies. Because I am a Nobody, a single being born of a duality and yet above it."

"Please, no philosophy…" Riku was finally getting to his feet.

"Riku, I don't think you're in a position to make demands. I have a Keyblade now. I was your equal without one. Now I can easily cut you in half. And I would. You slaves of light sicken me—you're really no better than the Heartless I can summon with a snap of my fingers. You both have been convinced that there is something greater. Light promises to improve the world by eliminating darkness—yet in your quest you become darkness yourselves. Just look at you four years ago…and Kairi over there." Ruxik continued to wave his arms grandly as if addressing an audience. "And darkness merely offers power—it appeals to the very nature of the living, yet it preys on the weak who cannot handle its greatest gifts. Darkness has been waiting for someone to truly master it, and that person will be richly rewarded by experiencing life to its fullest. And I will be the one to master it, and it will fulfill me. I need no heart to live, Riku—can you not understand that? Can you make one of those sacrifices you light-lovers value so much and let me have my way for once? Maybe I'll even spare your life if you leave me alone."

"Did you honestly think that I'd accept that?" By this point Riku was merely getting angry.

"Not at all. But it was worth a try. I'd save my energy by sparing you …but of course, I must wait for the young Princess before I can do anything. But now to return to my plan. To destroy the ultimate light would be to destroy the Keyblade bearers. I knew you'd be the most difficult because you share many of my traits—if I pushed you to your limits, you'd put up a good fight, maybe even win. So I needed something of great power to make my Keyblade, and darkness offers no gift more powerful than a great heart that has succumbed to darkness. So, how to do that? Kill Sora and make Kairi go insane with lost love. As you can see, it's worked rather well so far."

"I had pretty much figured this out already, actually," Riku replied coolly. "Now stop hiding behind your delusions. You know I won't let you do what you're planning."

"And I know you can't possibly stop me." Ruxik flicked his wrist and released his Keyblade. Instead of falling to the ground, it began to spin in a circle and slowly revolve around his body. He summoned his bladed staff again and did the same thing. With a thrust of his hand the two weapons flew towards Riku who dove out of the way and bounced back onto his feet. Ruxik was unfazed as his weapons returned to orbit.

With a furious growl Riku charged his Nobody, dodging Omega Dawn and swinging his own Keyblade at Ruxik. He easily blocked it with his staff, and soon the two were engaged in a raging battle. Riku swung Way to the Dawn across his body—Ruxik blocked the blow, spun the opposite way and slashed with his staff—Riku jumped backwards and retaliated with a straight stab—blocked.

A rush of air passed by Riku's shoulder—Omega Dawn was Ruxik's again. It continued to revolve around its bearer, slashing at Riku if he attempted an attack. Ruxik smirked as he went on the offensive, and Riku was soon fighting for his life. He had to focus both on Ruxik's dizzyingly fast staff attacks and the ever-present Keyblade that was aiming for his head. He kept his own Keyblade moving at an incredible speed, but he knew he couldn't allow Ruxik to keep this up for long. He did his best to focus and quiet his mind, and he found himself unconsciously blocking Ruxik's blows. Soon he felt a rush of adrenaline, and then—

"**ULTIMA AEROGA!"** A rush of wind exploded from Riku's body, sending Ruxik flying into a wall as his weapons fell uselessly. The walls themselves quaked under the strain of the wind, and Riku used the second he had been given to charge Ruxik. Now he was on the attack; Ruxik had only been able to grab his Keyblade before he met his vessel. Again a duel of epic proportions ensued; both sides slashed and stabbed at supernatural speeds, but neither could make contact. The sounds of clashing steel and grunts of exertion were the only sound until Ruxik caught Riku in a deadlock. Both Nobody and vessel struggled furiously to power through their foe's defenses. In this tense moment Ruxik spoke.

"You _have_ gotten better, I see," he replied casually, as if the battle at hand was a casual affair. "Maybe that old wizard did teach you a few tricks. I remember the last time we fought—you were doing your best to crawl away."

"I was wounded then," Riku answered through gritted teeth. "Now you get to see what I'm really capable of."

"Oh, really?" Ruxik let his guard down for a split second as he beckoned with his right hand—his staff jumped up from the floor and came rushing towards Riku's skull.

It missed completely—Riku spun around and slashed Ruxik's side. Ruxik grunted with pain as Riku followed up by putting Way to the Dawn to his Nobody's throat.

To his surprise Ruxik sighed. "Just like Twilight Town. You always want your blade to my throat, but you can never kill me. You just don't have it in you." His breath shortened a bit as Riku pulled the blade into his flesh.

"Watch me."

"No, no, I believe you, you have it in you…but I don't have it in me," Ruxik replied casually. He thrust his hands to the ground. "Quake!"

Riku frowned in confusion until he felt a mighty shockwave rip up the floor beneath him and send him flying. A nimble aerial dodge kept him from hitting the wall, and he landed gracefully on his feet. To his disappointment Ruxik had healed the wound in his throat, and he stood confidently, waiting for another charge. As Riku ran back, a thought seemed to strike his adversary.

"Why am I still stalling? I seem to have forgotten that time has stopped around me. **Time, restore!**"

_I will hang my life in the space between the noose and your neck  
__I won't let you die just yet  
__I will love you even when you won't let me__  
And you will kill me by doing nothing__  
But I know it's not you, my dear, I know it's not you  
I know it's not you, my dear, it's the nothing that kills_

And with that Kairi and Maleficent were no longer motionless. Kairi did not seem to remember Riku's plea; her face was emotionless once again, and Maleficent still wore a confident smirk. Immediately Riku took action.

"Kairi! Don't you understand? Sora did this same thing, and he--"

"AWAY WITH YOU!" Ruxik waved his hand, and Riku felt himself fly off into a wall. The impact shook him violently, but a Curaga brought him to his feet. He ran towards Kairi and shouted once more.

"He turned into--"

"Shut up already!" This time Ruxik teleported across the room and sent Riku into the air with a blow from his staff and threw him back down to earth with Omega Dawn. Riku groaned in pain as Ruxik stood over him with the blade of his staff at Riku's neck.

"Ah, how the tables have turned," Ruxik said coldly. "But I can't kill you here—she might get suspicious. Maybe now you'll get the point—if you say a word to here, you deserve all the pain you'll feel!" He picked up Riku by the throat and brutally threw him across the room.

Meanwhile Kairi had seen this battle unfold; for some time she dismissed it to focus on more pertinent issues regarding Sora, but she was starting to be concerned with the carnage before her. "What's going on here?"

Ruxik swore under his breath before shouting a command. "Maleficent! Do not let our guest see this!"

Without a word Maleficent waved her staff, and black and green fire shot out towards Kairi. The flames entered her eyes, and Kairi was about to scream with pain before she saw the flames begin to move, arranging themselves into patterns. Soon the patterns became letters, and the letters became words—they formed a poem only she could see. To anyone else it would have seemed dark and macabre, but to Kairi the words held a heavenly beauty. They were words of unsurpassed love and devotion, and every letter seemed to bring her closer to Sora. She could see nothing but these beautiful lines and hear nothing but the gentle crackling of the flames—and a voice that rudely interrupted this wonderful moment.

"Kairi, the recitation of these words will prepare you for what must be done," the voice said (she vaguely recognized it as Maleficent's). "You must strike at the final word, and Sora will be with you again! Think only of him, and he will come!"

Kairi made no sound and did not move. The words still captivated her, and she began to recite them in a rhythmic monotone, savoring each syllable.

"To thee, my love, who hath my heart and took it with thee to thy grave,

I give the gift of life and breath; both my life and yours this shall save."

Riku heard these two lines emanate throughout the room, and he was terrified. _They've gotten to her…she's about to go!_ He frantically cast a Curaga and sprinted towards her, shouting her name frantically. Once again Ruxik barred his way, this time bearing a triumphant grin.

"You like learning things the hard way, don't you?" he said coldly. "But go ahead—it's too late now. She can't see anything but that poem, and she can't hear anything but what's in her mind…and maybe Maleficent. She's completely unaware of either of us being here at all. You, Riku, have lost. Chalk one up for darkness."

Riku felt rage coursing through his veins. _No. She can't go. She can't fall for this. I can't let her do this. I have to stop this! I won't let them do this to her!_

Without warning Way to the Dawn burst into flames. The Fire of Wrath had come to Riku once again. He looked down at his blade when he felt the sudden warmth and smiled. "Still feeling confident, Ruxik? I don't think your puppet did too well with this last time."

_Focus, Riku. Do not lose your advantage. I have seen what happens to those who cannot control the Fire—remember what happened the night on the islands?_

_The Fire of Vengeance thing? Yeah, I remember. This isn't vengeance._

_Please do not let that change._

"I still doubt you know how to control the flame; it's that blasted old man within you holding your hand," Ruxik spat. "No matter—the Fire of Wrath is nothing to me."

In response Riku thrust his blade into the ground with a grunt. He closed his eyes in concentration, and tongues of dark flame leaped from the floor, waving like so many tentacles. Ruxik agilely dodged the assault but could not attack Riku, giving him time to run to Kairi. Maleficent awaited him with a shocked expression, but the Fire easily absorbed her magical blasts. The girl in the beautiful dress saw none of this as she continued her monologue.

"For this I send my flesh and soul, for these belong to thee as well,

Fear not for me; I shall live on, knowing thou hath escaped death's knell."

Riku suppressed an angry growl. "Kairi, remember Sora? He did the same thing, and

he--"

"Begone!" Maleficent thrust her staff towards Riku, and black tentacles reached out to grab him. He cut all of them in half with one swing and turned to Kairi again. The green and black flames that consumed her eyes disturbed him, but he shook his head and regained focus.

"He turned into a Heartless? Don't you remember? Putting the Keyblade in his heart made him a Heartless!"

He could have danced with triumph, but he waited for Kairi's response. To his shock and dismay none came. Kairi stared blankly for some time, and when she opened her mouth, she merely continued the macabre poem.

"No greater love hath anyone who freely lays down life for friend,  
And so I share part of mine to ensure death is not our love's end."

"NO!" Riku pounded his Keyblade on the ground like an angry child. "Kairi, don't you get it? This will turn you into a Heartless! Can't you hear me?! A HEARTLESS!" He spoke the last two words hardly inches from her face. He was struck by her incredible beauty but despondent to find no life in her eyes—his words had been ignored.

"Of course she cannot hear you," Maleficent said coldly. "She has chosen to ignore you. Sora means all to her. And besides, your words are irrelevant. The circumstances surrounding this event are different."

"But the effect will be the same," Riku replied, furious. "You've lied to her this entire time!"

"Not true," Maleficent retorted with a malicious grin. "She asked if this would harm her. I said no. I merely do not believe being a Heartless is harmful—it benefits Ruxik and me quite well."

Riku let out a primordial scream as he slashed blindly at Maleficent, but she easily dodged his blow. He was about to taken another swing when he felt a great impact in his stomach send him flying—the Fire of Wrath had disappeared, and Ruxik was back.

"Don't think I forgot about you," he snarled as he came closer. "I don't care if she can't hear you—I won't let you ruin my plans now."

_I think he might have lost whatever sanity he had. Darythas, help me out here!_

_You can do nothing until the poem is complete; whatever spell Maleficent used, it was very effective._

_That gives me, what, a split second?_

_You do not know any spells pertaining to the control of time?_

_…I've heard Ruxik's, but I've never used them before._

_I believe at this point you should be willing to try anything. _

The conversation ended abruptly when Ruxik sent both his staff and his new Keyblade at Riku. He ducked into a somersault and sprang up with his own Keyblade ready. He launched into a furious duel as Ruxik regained his weapons. Even Riku was surprised at how fast he attacked; one second saw him swinging for Ruxik's throat, the next for his side, the next for his throat again, then for his legs…yet strangely he never felt fatigue. The Fire of Wrath seemed to charge his energy as it whirled through the air, singing Ruxik's clothes but never touching his skin.

Unfortunately Ruxik also seemed to have endless energy; he hardly had to move as his weapons automatically parried Riku's blows. "Come now, where's the fire?" he taunted. "You're not going to be able to get to me. And you seem to be running out of time to save her."

Riku only fought harder at these words, and finally Ruxik showed signs of straining. Way to the Dawn slashed through the air like a deadly scythe, and the Fire of Wrath spread throughout the room. Ruxik accidentally backed into one of the flames on the ground and shouted in pain—Riku took this chance to stab his foe in the stomach. He couldn't get deep into Ruxik, but the wound was made—he'd have to take some time to heal it. The Keyblader ran towards Kairi once again.

Still she was completely oblivious. The poem she spoke was so beautiful and romantic, but it was near its end. But that would mean Sora would soon be alive, the way he was supposed to be. She would be in his arms in minutes…

"Accept this gift, and thou shalt know then how deeply thou art adored…"

Riku broke into a sprint. His timing had to be utterly perfect, and he had to be close to Kairi for his plan to work. He was by her side before the line was finished, and he was now focused on Maleficent. Again he fought off her magic and sent her flying with a furious kick. He turned to Kairi. Her eyes were still overrun by flame, and she saw nothing in front of her.

"My love for thee, it knows no bounds, and this I show by stroke of sword."

The flames began to fade. Sky-blue eyes cut through the black, and there was life in Kairi once again. Riku saw her arms twitch as she prepared herself to stab herself…to sell her life to darkness. Riku felt his fury threaten to explode…

Many things happened at the same time.

Ruxik had recovered from his wounds and lost his patience; Omega Dawn and his staff were flying in the air towards Riku's head.

Maleficent had returned to her feet; an Ardor spell had just left her wand.

Kairi was ready. This was the last moment she would waste without Sora, her Sora. She steeled herself once more, devoting her thoughts again to Sora. _Alright, Sora. This is truly how much I love you. I will give everything to be with you. You took my heart when you died—now I'm giving you whatever it takes to bring you back. _

Riku too was ready. He would only have one chance, and he didn't know if it would work. If he failed, the universe would fall to his Nobody's dark power; the mistakes of his past would crush all the worlds. If he succeeded…he was not quite sure what would happen. He took a breath, closed his eyes and shouted two words.

"**Time, depart!"**

He opened his eyes. He saw two sharp pieces of metal and strange flames right before his eyes, but they were motionless. Breathless he looked to Kairi—Oathkeeper was a tiny bit closer, but she was still alive. A spell he had never used before had worked—time had stopped.

_I can't save you__  
Control is something out of mine__  
No, I can't save you__  
Control is something out of my control__  
I can't save you but I will love you…__  
I'd like to think that this is love  
__Lost in second chances without end  
This is romance_

"Success," he whispered under his breath. He slowly walked towards Kairi, slightly disturbed by the utter silence that surrounded his footsteps. He stood next to her and sighed—she was still beautiful, and her eyes were caught mid-blink, making a rather seductive expression. A younger Riku might have taken this chance to bring her back into time and try to earn her love, but this was not the Riku she once knew.

He lifted her arms slowly and delicately—she may have been unaware of his actions, but he still felt somewhat awkward touching her. He could not bring himself to touch her dress either—to him it looked like a death shroud. Here Darythas spoke for the first time.

_What exactly are you doing?_

_She's not going to be able to do this._

_…Are you mad?!_

_Possibly. But I'm desperate. And I have a feeling this will work nicely._

_For your sake and mine I hope you are right._

Riku ducked his head under Kairi's lifted arm, taking care to dodge her Keyblade. Oathkeeper's points seemed particularly sharp, and he did not want to risk wounding himself if he had to continue to fight Ruxik. He returned Kairi's arm to its normal position (the fact that it did not fall loosely was rather unsettling) and nestled himself in front of Kairi, facing away from her. Now Oathkeeper was nearly touching his chest—he was glad it was a relatively short sword.

_Now, how to bring only her back to time?_

_The force of will controls such spells. _

_Okay then…_ He focused on himself and Kairi. "**Time, restore."** Riku looked around him, but Maleficent and Ruxik were still motionless. He felt Kairi's breath expand her chest into his back and heard a gasp behind him.

"Riku! What are you doing here?"

"I think it's pretty obvious—I'm not letting you go through with this."

"Don't you understand?! This will bring Sora back to life! And now I have to start over—I have to focus on him!"

"I don't think that's really too difficult for you, is it? He's been on your mind a lot lately. And I can understand that—I miss him too. But this seems like a strange way to go about it, no?"

"No."

Riku rolled his eyes ever so slightly. "Didn't Sora ever tell you how he gave you your heart back?"

"What are you talking about?"

"He stabbed himself with the Keyblade. Yes, you got your heart back, but he turned into a Heartless. It took your love to save him—Ruxik will make sure no one you love will be alive to save you."

Kairi gasped and fell silent. Riku smiled, thinking his triumph was near. But then Kairi spoke with a resolute tone. "This is different. Sora didn't do any rituals…he didn't do it right."

"Right? There's a _right_ way to do this?" Riku chuckled. "What's that way—the one preached by Maleficent, the Mistress of All Evil?"

"She wants Sora back so he can kill Ruxik."

"And you believe that? Kairi, this is Maleficent we're talking about here. She'd rather see you die than Ruxik—she stole your heart for her own greed."

"You wanted it too."

"That's not the point. You're trying to trust Maleficent. She will lead you astray. I promise you, that's what's happening here. With you out of the way, Ruxik can use your heart to power his new Keyblade, kill me and then kill King Mickey. Ruxik won't die if you do this—he'll rule the worlds."

Kairi said nothing for some time, leaving nothing but the sounds of strained breath echoing through the room. Then—"So why are you standing between me and my Keyblade?"

"I think it's pretty simple. There are three outcomes. One, you go ahead with this, kill me in an attempt to save Sora, he's all yours, and I've made a huge mistake. Or you go ahead with this and turn us both into Heartless. Or you let both of us live to fight another day. Your call. I won't force anything.

Again there was silence. Kairi sighed several times as if she was preparing words. Finally she spoke. "Riku…why?"

"Because, quite honestly, that's what friends are for. No, more than friends—we've been the best of friends. There's no romantic love here. I won't steal you from Sora."

"He's dead."

"Then I'll honor his memory. Point is…I think we share a different kind of love, Kairi. That creepy poem said it—'No greater love hath anyone who freely lays down life for friend'…I refuse to stand and watch you die."

"Refuse all you want—I've got other plans." Riku felt a blade at his throat—Ruxik's.

"What?! How! The spell—time--"

"You were too weak to hold that spell up for too long. It was a clever trick you played, Riku, but you can't stop Kairi. She's got the guts to bring Sora back—you're just a coward, _and you deserve your fate!_" He dealt Riku a brutal kick to the stomach, sending him flying. Riku tried to return to his feet, but he found that he was completely exhausted—the spells had completely drained him. Ruxik showed no fatigue whatsoever—he rushed over to his vessel and brutally hacked at him with his staff.

_Riku, did you not see this coming?_

_I knew this was coming. Ruxik would find a way to stop me. It's Kairi's call now. I've appealed to her compassion—she's a Princess of Heart, remember? I've made my point—it's up to her to make a decision._

Maleficent re-entered time, saw the fight reborn and turned to Kairi. "Make haste! Focus again on Sora—this is merely an interruption. He will still be resurrected if you are quick."

Kairi did not move. Thoughts raced through her mind faster than she could process them. _Riku…could he be right? The Princesses…they told me that darkness would try to convince me light and dark were the same. Is this what they meant? Or were they wrong too? _

_I know what I have to do—what Sora would have wanted._

She took a deep breath. Now she could see the brutality Ruxik was inflicting on Riku—she felt nothing but pity. She recalled a line of verse from her memory.

"My love for thee, it knows no bounds...."

"NOOOOOO!" Riku screamed through Ruxik's beating. "Impossible! I can't have failed! KAIRI, DON'T DO THIS!!!"

She was motionless. She saw only one thing—Maleficent's triumphant grin.

_Everything I do, I do for you, Sora. _

Oathkeeper moved once with great speed.

Maleficent collapsed to the floor, a gaping wound in her chest. Kairi returned Oathkeeper to her side. "…And this I show by stroke of sword."

* * *

_A/N: I finally finished it! Sorry it took so long! Reviews are awesome!_


	34. Omega

_A/N: Thanks to singintoyourself, Phoenix of the Darkness, XIII Riku, Psycho Kitty Alchemist, Legendary Chimera, Keyx Valentine (x10!), RikuLover211 and TSD for reviewing! Special thanks to Phoenix of the Darkness for the favorite story add, and VERY special thanks to XIII Riku for the favorite author add!_

_I apologize for the lengthy delay…summer is crazy hectic with college visits and camps and such…so here goes! The last non-epilogue chapter has finally arrived!_

**XXXIV. Omega**

For nearly a minute, nobody moved. Kairi panted with exertion, but there was no other sound. Ruxik brought his staff down, too stunned to kill his vessel. Riku too was motionless in both shock and exhaustion.

Then—

"YES!" Riku jumped to his feet, completely ignoring his wounds as he ran to embrace Kairi. "YES! YES! YES!"

Kairi returned the embrace weakly, a little overwhelmed. _Sora…you're just going to have to wait a bit. Something's just not right here._

"Welcome back, Kairi," Riku said, beaming.

"Yeah…" _How did I fall this far? How could I not see how stupid I was? And Riku…wow. That took guts._

Meanwhile Ruxik was desperately trying to control his temper. "Kairi! Quick! Re-focus…what about Sora?"

"Don't give me any of that, Ruxik," Kairi replied sharply. "I'm not buying your lies anymore!"

"Are you so sure I'm lying? Are you so easily swayed by he who stole you from Sora?" Ruxik queried. _You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, right?_

"Yes. I trust him. I can't trust someone like you."

"I'll take that as your final answer, then," Ruxik said slowly and calmly. "I know you servants of light aren't easily swayed once you've made this sort of decision. And, so you know, yes, this would have turned you into a Heartless."

"Who called that one?" Riku muttered under his breath.

"But don't you dare think I'm so noble that I need a ceremonial death. Thank you, Riku, for being so cunning—I borrowed your scheming mind when I was formed. So I always have a plan B." As he spoke, he raised an open palm, letting his staff fall back into its orbit. An oddly familiar black sphere appeared as he rose from the ground, and his eyes glowed pitch-black.

"I told you I wanted the Princess's heart, but I think this will do for now. My sole purpose was to create Omega Dawn, and I have—Kairi's decision will not ruin my plans!" The sphere grew until it touched the roof of the castle, and clouds of smoke slowly descended as black flames sprouted. Ruxik held Omega Dawn by the gray cube attached by the chain and screamed furiously as he thrust the black sphere downward.

Immediately Kairi cast a Reflega over herself and Riku, bracing for impact. To her surprise none came, but Ruxik kept screaming. She looked up at him and saw that he was trying to cram the sphere into the black cube…

"He's found a new power source," Riku said in shock.

"What?"

"Oh, you missed the whole conversation…Ruxik made a Keyblade. He was going to use your heart to power it, but that thing looks like a pretty decent substitute…" Riku was desperately trying to hide his fear. _I could barely hold my own against him just a few minutes ago, and now he's got a Keyblade?_

_Oh yeah, Kairi's here now. Right._

"So, why are we just standing here, exactly?" Kairi queried. Riku tried to ready an answer but came up empty. "I'm not going to let him just make his own Keyblade." Without another word she tossed Oathkeeper through her Reflega towards Ruxik. It bounced off of the Nobody, doing no harm whatsoever.

"We're going to need to do better than that," Riku said coolly. He left Kairi's protective barrier and pointed his Keyblade upwards. "**ULTIMA THUNDAGA!"** A furious maelstrom tore the roof off of the castle, and bolts of lightning the size of trees scorched the floor.

"**ULTIMA FIRAGA!"** Kairi pointed her Keyblade at Ruxik as a huge fireball flew towards him. Both thunderbolt and flame hit their targets, but the black sphere absorbed both spells.

Riku looked towards Kairi. "Yeah, this isn't working. Any other ideas?" _I can't be weak here. But I really have no idea how we're going to beat him now…_

Ruxik's scream reached a fever pitch, and then…silence. The sphere slipped into the metal cube easily, and Omega Dawn turned entirely black for a split second. Ruxik looked at his new blade, brandished it casually a few times, and burst out laughing.

Riku sighed. _Whenever he laughs, something bad is about to happen…_

"Why, oh, why, did I try so hard to steal your heart, Kairi, when I could power this Keyblade so easily? Must be the bit of Riku still in me…"

"SHUT UP!" Riku threw his Keyblade as hard as he could, but Ruxik easily blocked it with Omega Dawn.

"Oh, you don't like when I remind you of your past, I forgot. But it's so much fun!" By now Ruxik was back on the ground, twirling his Keyblade casually.

"Yep, you've gone completely insane," Kairi said bitterly, kicking off her heels as she prepared for battle.

"Perhaps. But I think that is of little importance now. What matters is, I have something pretty close to the ultimate dark power, and I'm that much closer to fulfillment. All that's left is you two and that mouse. As he's not here…" He pulled his staff from its orbit and entered a combat stance. "I'm done wasting time. I'm this close to achieving my ultimate goal…you two will not stop me!" And with that he sent one weapon at each Keyblader.

Riku easily dodged Omega Dawn as he summoned his own blade. He and Kairi both charged the Nobody and began a double-sided attack. Ruxik regained both of his weapons and was soon defending every blow, fighting at an incredible speed. Eventually both Kairi and Riku swung at the same time and caught Ruxik in a deadlock.

_Wait for it, wait for it…_ Riku thought to himself. He caught Kairi's eye, and she immediately knew his plan. She pushed harder, trying to break through Ruxik's staff, and his defense increased equally.

With a shout Riku spun out of the deadlock and slashed Ruxik's stomach. He grunted slightly and took a step backwards—Kairi capitalized on this chance to launch a flurry of Keyblade strikes. This lasted a few seconds before a huge black flame lashed out from Ruxik's

Keyblade, catching Kairi's bare arm. She screamed in pain as Riku put it out with an Aero, but Ruxik took this chance to send her flying with a Quake spell.

Riku attacked Ruxik with renewed fury. A high slash--blocked. He spun around, swept for Ruxik's legs—blocked by his staff. He swung his legs around, Ruxik jumped over him, he swung upwards—Ruxik threw Omega Dawn downwards to block the blow and pulled it back. Riku got to his feet and lunged for a stab—Ruxik fell to the ground before he could make contact. Kairi had attacked him from behind. She followed up her surprise attack by slashing for Ruxik's throat—Ruxik blocked this with his staff and threw his Keyblade at her with his free hand. Riku swung his Keyblade out and blocked the blow, but this allowed Ruxik to get to his feet, raising his hands in a gesture of peace.

"You two make a pretty decent team, I'd say," he said as he dusted off his shoulders. "I have to congratulate you, Kairi, for fighting in such formal attire…but I still haven't shown you what I'm truly capable of."

"I've heard that one before," Riku replied. "And the same is true here. **ULTIMA THUNDAGA!"**

Kairi and Ruxik waited for the typical thunderstorm, but nothing came. Instead they saw Riku with an expression of deep concentration—he was bending lightning in a dome around his body. With a furious shout he raised both arms, and the dome opened violently, sending lightning throughout the entire room. Several bolts caught Ruxik, scorching his skin and dazing him for a moment. Kairi took this chance to send him into the air, where Riku brutally kicked his foe down to earth.

He ran over to finish off his Nobody, but he suddenly found himself unable to move.

"Oh, you're clever," Ruxik said maliciously, a smirk growing on his face. "Very clever indeed. But my capabilities go beyond magical skill." He came to his feet and snapped his fingers. The room was filled with the sounds of opening portals as thousands upon thousands of Heartless and Nobodies of all kinds appeared—soon there was hardly any room for the Keybladers to stand. Ruxik grunted with pleasure as he took to the air. Riku and Kairi tried to fight off the intruders, but they were both paralyzed. Strangely enough, the beasts seemed to hardly notice the Keybladers.

"I must thank you once again, Riku, for embodying Xehanort," Ruxik shouted from on high. "For as you hosted darkness, I will host both darkness and oblivion. But they will not dominate me—I will rule over them, and you will see that none can defeat me! _Heartless, Nobodies--come!"_

There was a sound of a great wind, and then the cacophonous squeals of the Heartless tore through the room. Every Heartless and Nobody was lifted off its feet as the wind blew it towards Ruxik. Riku and Kairi could only stand by in shock.

"Why…can't…I…move?!" Riku growled furiously.

"Give it time. The spell is temporary."

"Maleficent?!" Both Keybladers shouted in unison. The witch had not quite died, and she, too was being absorbed by the Nobody.

"You will move freely soon enough. Beware Ruxik—I know what he is doing. He will become more powerful than you have ever known him to be. I will do what I can to destroy him—the fool does not realize he is absorbing me with his armies. I thought I could betray him…I was a fool. You two can destroy him…I will do what I can to aid you. If he succeeds, even I have no hope of power."

Before Riku or Kairi could interject, Maleficent pointed her staff at Ruxik's gigantic torso—he was already achieving his titanic form. Over the furious sound of the Heartless and Nobodies, two words were heard clearly.

"ULTIMA ARDOR!!!"

Deep blue flames left Maleficent's scepter and flew straight to Ruxik, already thirty feet tall. He looked down and screamed in pain until he saw the witch slowly gravitating towards him.

"YOU!" he bellowed. "You cursed witch! How dare you betray me!" He moved one of his gargantuan clawed hands and grabbed her from the air. "Didn't you think I knew you wanted my power? I never trusted you, but now you've crossed the line! AWAY WITH YOU!" The massive claws closed violently, and grains of black dust clouded the room.

"Well, that did a lot," Riku muttered sarcastically. By this time Ruxik had reached his full height and found that the room was not quite tall enough for him--he thrust up his arms and cast the roof aside like paper. He cackled fiendishly in self-satisfaction. The sound made the Keybladers cringe—it was painfully loud and shrill.

"Even the Mistress of All Evil cannot stop me!" Ruxik roared in a much lower voice. "How can you two possibly do what she could not? I am master over oblivion and darkness! I will be fulfilled, and you two will fall at my feet!" He swiped his tree-sized arm across the floor, whipping Riku with his spindly, Dusk-like claws. Riku's agile dodges ensured that only one claw actually made contact, but the wound was excruciatingly painful. He cast a quick Curaga before looking up at his foe and then to Kairi.

"Well, we took down Omegasis…he's pretty much the same thing, right?" Kairi said as he caught her eye.

"Guess we're going to find out," Riku said through gritted teeth, brandishing his Keyblade. Suddenly a thought struck him. "Wait…what about his Keyblade?"

His question was answered as a colossal gray and black sword sliced through the air, bringing a furious wind with it. He leapt to the side to avoid it, and it cleaved a hole in the floor. Within seconds wrapped tightly in Ruxik's huge claws.

"That answers that question…" Riku muttered.

"How could I forget something I've spent my whole existence creating?" Ruxik boomed. "Omega Dawn will be the last thing you see before your death!"

"Don't bet on that," Riku growled. As Ruxik launched another huge slash, he jumped onto the wall and propelled himself onto the giant arm. Kairi immediately followed his lead and launched an Ultima Firaga as a distraction. The spell hit Ruxik in the thigh and immediately began to burn his flesh. Ruxik howled and quickly moved Omega Dawn in position for an Aeroga to put out the flame, nearly sending Riku flying. He grabbed Ruxik's now-huge black cloak and held on for dear life until the arm stopped moving. He took his chance to run towards Ruxik's head, where he began to unleash a devastating flurry...

"Begone!" Ruxik snarled. A great gust of wind sent Riku flying, and only a quick Aeroga saved him from a fatal fall. The great titan laughed as he spoke again. "Did you think it would be so simple? I'm not so easily fooled, boy!" A huge fist came crashing down, forming a crater in the floor that would have had Riku at the bottom if not for a timely dodge.

Riku clenched his teeth in anger. _I need the Fire of Wrath, or he's going to kill us both!_

As if on cue, Way to the Dawn burst into flame. Riku smiled slightly as he charged Ruxik again, dodging the huge claws and gigantic sword as he ran. Kairi continued the barrage of distracting magic, but it seemed to have no effect; the colossal fiend swung his fist again. This time Riku plunged his fiery sword into its skin and felt a slight satisfaction at Ruxik's howl. This was replaced by confusion when he heard the boom of Ruxik's laugh.

"Fantastic! Even the Fire of Wrath is like a normal flame to me! Is that your best, Riku? That's almost embarrassing…certainly my vessel can do better than this!" With that he waved his hand, and Riku found himself paralyzed. "Let me show you my own fire!" A massive black fireball appeared in his hand, and Riku's mind began to race.

_No! It can't end…Kairi's next! The whole universe is next! How can the Fire not be strong enough._

_That is because you haven't unlocked its full potential_, Darythas said calmly.

_There's more to it?! You didn't tell me this before?! _Riku was utterly outraged.

_Well, now you have earned it. You have gone from vengeful anger to protection—your first thoughts were for Kairi's safety and the safety of the worlds. You have proven yourself worthy, and it is time to fulfill my mission and show you…_

_Darythas, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO HEAR ALL THIS! _The incoming fireball made Riku somewhat saw an Ultima Reflega form around him (presumably it was Kairi who cast it), but he suspected that even this would not be enough.

_Very well. Time, depart! _Riku then heard a sound like snapping fingers, another like shattering glass, and then a growing flame. He felt a great heat and wind consume his body—he was about to cry out in pain, but the heat suddenly became a familiar warmth. He looked at his body and was astounded to see that the Fire of Wrath now not only consumed his Keyblade but his body as well. And the flames were different—no longer were they black and electric blue; they were a blinding white with a crimson core.

_What…what is this? _Riku thought in shock.

Darythas let out a small chuckle. _The full strength of the Fire of Wrath. You saw only a small portion of it in Twilight Town and when fighting Omegasis. The Princesses of Heart were judging to see if you were worthy of its full power, and I was to act as judge. For a while I thought you might not have been strong enough—you seemed to dwell on the mistakes of your past to fuel the Fire, and that would be Rage—a Facet of a darkened heart. But now…your circumstances are rather dire, and you have shown incredible selflessness in the past hour. The Fire of Wrath has not had a bearer in decades…use it wisely. _

_But…how? _Riku was rather overwhelmed.

_The Fire will guide you. Time, restore!_

The huge fireball was now only inches from Riku's head. He braced himself, hoping this new power would be of some use…

…And screamed as entire body was engulfed in white flame. Ruxik's spell disappeared on contact, and the flames receded.

"What?!" Ruxik bellowed. "How are you still alive?!"

"What…_is_ that?!" Kairi gasped.

Riku was in shock for a few seconds before he finally understood what had happened. "The Fire of Wrath…Ruxik, this is the real thing. What you saw was just practice. Now the Fire is strong enough to destroy you. I won't let you do what you're planning—_I won't let the darkness win!_"

"The darkness? You make it sound like something distant…you created me, Riku! I am you! You cannot destroy yourself!"

"You are not me—_you are everything I hate_!" With that Riku began to scale the titan, dodging spells and blows along the way. Ruxik's frustrated growls reverberated throughout the room as Riku found safety on his shoulder before jumping towards his massive chest. He shoved Way to the Dawn into the beast's chest and saw the flames tear through its body. He descended to the ground and tried to avoid the stomping feet and flailing arms; a timely Magnega from Kairi made this easier.

"Where do you learn these things?" she asked, baffled.

"Darythas did something…apparently I'm the official bearer of the Fire now. No idea what it means, but it seems to be working." He pointed to Ruxik, who was now on all fours, gasping heavily.

"Is…is he dead?" Kairi asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"No…" gasped the Nobody. "I'm…insulted…that you'd think that." He stood up to his full height. "That…was a good trick, vessel. But it's not enough." With a labored breath he slowly raised his left arm to shoulder height. Suddenly it shot out across the room far beyond its normal length. Both Kairi and Riku dove to the side to avoid it, but Ruxik's claws caught Riku by the leg.

"Get off of me!" Riku screamed, letting the Fire burn more intensely. Ruxik let out a scream in pain but did not loosen his grip.

"Your fire will not be enough to defeat me, Riku," the huge Nobody growled as he brought Riku closer. "You became weak when you abandoned darkness—I have mastered it!" He moved his other hand in towards his vessel, letting the claws grab Riku's chest.

"RIKU!" Kairi screamed, sprinting towards her foe. She released a flurry of Ultima spells, but they did nothing. _It's just like fighting Omegasis…nothing hurt him. Except light. Too bad the Princesses took that power from me…_ She quickly channeled her regret into rage as she began to scale Ruxik, slashing Oathkeeper furiously at every available opportunity.

Riku saw none of this. He was focused on making the Fire blaze—it kept the massive claws at bay. He didn't know why Ruxik kept reaching for his chest, but he was sure it wasn't a good thing. But for some reason, Ruxik continued to ignore the burns in his Shadow-esque flesh, no matter how brightly the Fire burned.

"You're making this rather difficult, vessel," Ruxik snarled. "Put your fire out, and I'll make this quick!"

"Like I'd listen…" Riku replied, shocked to find he was short of breath. Ruxik's strength was making it very difficult to breathe…he grunted with exertion as he strengthened the flame once again. At last, Ruxik dropped him, casting multiple spells to heal his wounds.

He had forgotten that Kairi was still climbing him. By now she had reached his neck, and she quietly cast an Ultima Firaga, preparing to blast it into his flesh.

She never had the chance. Ruxik felt the sudden heat wave and sprang into action, telekinetically swinging Omega Dawn to swat her away. She fell to the ground by Riku, saved only by a timely Aero. Ruxik growled as Omega Dawn and his staff, both the size of trees, hovered above his shoulders.

"I'm growing tired of this fight," he snarled. "I'm sure you are too…I'll put one of you out of your misery!" Both of his weapons became engulfed in black flame, and they rushed towards Kairi.

"No!" Riku shouted, diving towards Kairi with his Keyblade in a defensive stance. He braced himself for impact…

He felt only the hard floor, not the weapon's blades. He and Kairi both stared at Ruxik-- Omega Dawn and the bladed staff were above his shoulders again.

"Predictable," Ruxik growled. The weapons launched again towards Riku and Kairi at a much greater speed this time.

Kairi's mind was racing. _We can't run. He's on the ground! _

Riku tried to stand and run away—putting himself in the line of fire.

Kairi threw him to the side, looked to Ruxik and felt the tip of Omega Dawn penetrate her skin.

She closed her eyes.

Time stopped.

* * *

Kairi opened her eyes—the world had changed drastically. No Ruxik, no Riku, no castle…just a tall woman, clad in a white dress, standing in a much more pleasant white room.

"Jysilia?" Kairi asked, dumbfounded. She looked down to see that she, too, wore a white dress—the same one she had worn to her coronation.

The tall woman nodded. "We never abandoned you, Kairi," she said softly. "We were waiting. We had our doubts, but we hoped you would come back to us. Our hopes were well-founded, it seems."

"What?" Kairi's head was spinning. "Am I dead? The last thing I saw was Rux--"

"Fear not. We intervened. I told you the powers of a true Princess of Heart would be yours when you proved your worth—you have done so. You were willing to sacrifice your life to save Riku…and this time, this was not the deceitful plan of Ruxik and Maleficent."

"So…I'm…"

"About to reacquire your powers—and something you might need right now," Jysilia said with a smile.

Kairi could only gasp in awe as Jysilia laid her hand on her shoulder—she felt the incredible sensation of light coursing through her veins. She was not quite sure if a minute or a year passed before Jysilia finally lifted her hand. She looked at her hand and found the four markings on her palm: fire, gavel, cross and dress. She also saw a strange gleam as though she wore metal. A quick look showed that she was indeed wearing something like a suit of blindingly white armor (her white dress had mysteriously disappeared), but she hardly felt its touch on her skin. She tapped it tentatively to be sure it was real, and to her delight and confusion it felt like a rock. She looked up at the elder Princess, bewildered.

Jysilia folded her arms and beamed. "Welcome back, Princess Kairi. You know now what you must do."

Before Kairi could respond, there was a flash of light, and she was back in the castle.

* * *

She looked down. Omega Dawn and the familiar dual-bladed staff were lying on the ground uselessly. To her right Riku was also on the ground, somewhat stunned from being thrown and considerably more stunned from the sight of Kairi. In front of her was the utterly stunned Ruxik.

"Impossible…" he muttered before regaining his composure. "But it matters not! I am a being of oblivion, not of darkness! The light means naught to me!"

"Kairi…" Riku gasped in shock. "The armor…you're alive…what?"

"The Princesses intervened again," Kairi said nonchalantly, still somewhat dazed. Any hint of confusion was lost as she saw Ruxik's staff rise and charge her. In one smooth motion she summoned Oathkeeper, spun around, and sent the staff flying. By this time Riku had gotten to his feet and was in a defensive pose by her side.

"Nice work," he said with a confident smile. "So can you end this now?"

"Let's find out," she said, returning the grin. Remembering the battle with Omegasis, she jumped into the air, hoping the light would once again allow her to levitate. She had guessed correctly—soon she was nearly at eye level with Ruxik.

"No! Your Princesses will not stop me!" the Nobody roared with noticeable distress in his voice. Out of the corner of his eye Riku saw Omega Dawn shoot towards Kairi. Without thinking he jumped and swung his blade. Instead of hearing the familiar _clang_ of colliding swords, he heard a sizzling sound and saw smoke.

His burning Keyblade had cut Omega Dawn in two.

"THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!" Ruxik boomed. "Keyblades cannot destroy Keyblades…"

"Your weapon was not a true Keyblade, Omegasis," Kairi spoke, her voice mingled with those of thousands of other Princesses within her. "The Keyblades are made for the servants of light—your creation was a fraud. It was the spawn of darkness—much like yourself."

"I am a Nobody! I'm not a Heartless! You can't pass judgment on me!" Ruxik's anger was a poor cover for his panic.

"You've allowed the Heartless within you. You've embraced dark power, slain the Guardians, and murdered a Keyblader in cold blood. And you think justice will pass over you?!" Kairi shouted, allowing myriad voices to reverberate off of the walls. She thrust her arms out. "No, Ruxik, you will not be allowed to survive!"

A furious gust of wind rushed through the room, and a high-pitched ringing sound slowly rose to a fever pitch. Ruxik thrust his hands over his ears in agony until blindingly white ribbons swirling around Kairi forced him to expend one hand to guard his eyes. Some time passed before Ruxik beheld his surroundings again—Kairi held a massive white hammer in her once-free hand—Justice's Gavel.

She looked to Riku and spoke, not with the Princesses' voices but with her own. "The Fire…do it. Let's get rid of him."

Riku nodded silently and thrust his Keyblade upwards. Tongues of white flame leapt from the blade's tip and latched onto the Gavel until it was covered entirely.

Satisfied, Kairi turned her gaze back to the cowering Ruxik. "You killed Sora…you almost had me, too. But now…you will corrupt the worlds no longer, Ruxik! _Begone!_"

She swung the Gavel downward. The heavy weight crushed Ruxik, and the flames ravenously attacked his flesh. He let out an earsplitting howl even after the Gavel disappeared, and he did not stop for several minutes. At last he fell silent and still.

Kairi descended gracefully to the ground, still clad in the Princess's armor. Both Keybladers stared at Ruxik, then each other, then Ruxik…and then Kairi tackled Riku in a ferocious bear hug.

"We did it! He's gone! He's done! We…" The young Princess was breathless, and Riku was speechless.

_Finally_, he thought. _He's done. Sora's avenged. He was a mistake of my past…dead. Light wins again. Kairi's okay. I'm okay. We've somehow pulled this off…_

Both Keybladers came to their feet. They nearly returned to the ground after hearing two sentences.

"Riku, come here, would you? I have something to say…"

The voice was weak, but it was definitely there.

"Ruxik?!" Riku shouted, incredulous. _How can he still be alive?! Can we possibly top what we just did?_

"Fear not, Oblivion'll have me soon," Ruxik said, as if in reply. "But…you have to hear the dying man's last words, right?"

Riku looked to Kairi. She nodded. "Go for it. I've got you covered."

With that Riku walked over to his Nobody (who had returned to his normal form). The cloud of gray vapor was so thick, he could hardly see Ruxik, but he could still make out the steely eyes and scraggly black hair. He also could see grotesque burns and gaping wounds—surely, the Nobody would fade soon.

"Good job…vessel," Ruxik coughed with something like a smile on his face. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"You're awfully happy for someone in your position," Riku spat. "Your plan failed. You weren't fulfilled. You're done."

"That may be so. But let me… make you a final offer before I'm done. We could… put this whole thing behind us…"

"You think I want to?!" Riku put Way to the Dawn to his Nobody's throat.

"What if…I could give you…Kairi's heart?" Ruxik said slowly. "Remember, Xehanort studied the heart…he knows its secrets… and they were passed to me. No others would need to die. You'd just have to spare me."

"NO!" Riku shouted, adding a primeval growl. "I swore to end your pitiful existence, remember? After you defiled Sora's body?"

"Ah, yes, that," Ruxik said somewhat weakly. "So your mind won't be changed? You're still trying… to deny your past? My leaving doesn't… mean your past leaves. You still have to live…with your failures, boy. Embrace them…or they will destroy you. It always happens…to the light…"

"Enough!" Riku shouted. His anger was forcing him to breathe heavily.

"So sure? You seem to be a little conflicted…do I detect hesitation?"

"NO! Enough!" Riku raised his blade, aiming for Ruxik's empty torso.

"Ah, yes. Kill me. There's still darkness in you, I see…"

"No. The Princesses ordered your death. This is for Light…and for everything you've done." Riku spoke in a near monotone as he prepared himself.

Way to the Dawn plunged downward through Ruxik's chest. The gray vapor poured out from him even more rapidly. He let out one final gasp, and then a gray portal claimed him.

Riku slowly walked back to Kairi's side and saw her concerned face. "Don't worry about it," he said coolly.

Kairi shrugged. Talking to Riku when he didn't want to talk would yield nothing. Suddenly a thought struck her. "Um…how are we getting back?"

"Um…" Riku, too, realized that he had forgotten this detail.

As if on cue, the Gummi Ship landed in the now-destroyed room. Donald popped out and gave Riku another hug. "Great job there, you two!"

"Donald? Were you…watching?"

"Nah, we just thought you guys were talking a while and came in to check on you, a-hyuck!" Goofy chortled as he left the Gummi Ship. "C'mon! Let's getcha back home!"

Riku looked to the baffled Kairi. "They gave me a ride over here."

She shook her head. "Whatever. We're done here. I don't care how we get back…I'm just happy it's over."

* * *

_A/N: Phew! Hope that was worth the wait! Reviews are still awesome!_


	35. Epilogue

_A/N: Thanks to XIII Riku, Psycho Kitty Alchemist, japaneserockergirl, Legendary Chimera, singintoyourself, TSD and RikuLover211 for reviewing! Thanks also to XIII Riku and Legendary Chimera for the author alert adds, special thanks to xxxChaoticHarmonyxxx for the favorite story add and very special thanks to Legendary Chimera for the favorite author add!_

_So, here we are, the end of Omega Dawn. I never thought it'd take me two years, but that's how it goes, I guess. And, now that I'm at the end of this tale, I have to give a very special thank-you to everyone that's reviewed, and if you reviewed multiple times, then you get even more gratitude and awesome points. If you reviewed every single chapter, then you are a truly fantastic person! The same goes to everyone who's added me to an alerts or favorites list--you guys rock!  
_

_I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters within its universe. I do own my OCs (and if you're reading this chapter, you probably should know who they are by now!). The Classic Crime owns the lyrics. And now, the end!_

**Epilogue**

_And I knew that this would happen; it always does.__  
And I couldn't stop my reaction, so I let it come. I let it come.__  
I still hold the belief that we are free,__  
That we don't need the rules to see__  
That despite what we've done, we're not alone.  
We're closer than we think to home._

**The Classic Crime—"Closer Than We Think"**

The duo arrived on the islands in the dead of night. They said brief farewells and went to their houses with little conversation—the exhaustion of the battle had finally caught up with them. Both were asleep within five minutes of entering their homes, and neither awoke until late afternoon. Kairi was the first to rise; seeing that the weather was perfect, she showered and put on her black bikini before heading into the ocean. Selphie, Tidus and Wakka were there as well, and she killed a few hours with them before going home, changing and sitting on a dock. She didn't normally do this sort of thing; usually it was Naminé that was the artsy one, and she was gone…Kairi drove the thought from her mind. She looked over the ocean to behold a beautiful sunset; the sky was clad in a soft pink, streaked almost artfully with crimson and gold. She sighed deeply.

_Be happy. We just killed Ruxik. We saved the worlds. I'm still alive. This should be a good day._

_You know what, it is. I'm okay again. I honestly feel happy with or without Sora. I guess I just had to hit bottom before I could feel like this. _

* * *

Riku rose from bed about an hour after Kairi; one glance at the clock had him laughing. "6:00? Personal best," he chuckled to himself. He showered, got dressed (groaning several times at his sore muscles), ate and was about to head outside when a thought struck him.

_Darythas? You there?_

_Ah, you must have figured it out. Yes, I am here, but not for much longer. My mission was to keep you and Kairi from avoiding my mistakes, and I seem to have done so. The Princesses will likely allow me passage into the afterlife now. And, I must say, as impressed as I am with you and how well you handled Ruxik, heaven sounds somewhat more pleasant. _Riku could almost hear a smile in Darythas's voice.

_I can understand that,_ he replied. _Well, then, I guess I better not keep you waiting. Thanks for watching out for me…I'll keep what you've said in mind._

_You would do well to do so, _Darythas replied formally. _Farewell, Riku. Do not lose control of the Fire, and guard your heart. As long as the Heartless exist, there will be Nobodies, and there will be beings more powerful than you can imagine—stay strong._

_Will do. Goodbye, Darythas._

A few seconds later, Riku felt something like a light breeze rush through his insides—the ancient Keyblader had left. He didn't feel exceptionally emotional—he had never been one for tearful farewells, and he had never felt that close to Darythas anyway. Besides all this, something attracted his attention as he left his house—a small piece of lined paper. Riku saw writing and instinctively picked up the note, reading an untidily written sentence.

_I'm going to surprise her. _

Riku read the note several times, trying to understand it. On the fifth try something clicked in his mind. "No," he gasped aloud. "It can't be…"

_Well, he has been looking for him for a while now…guess I can't tell her about this. _ Trying to slow his furiously beating heart, he walked down the beach, looking for Kairi. _I want to see this when it happens._

He found her sitting on the dock, dangling her feet off of the edge. She seemed fairly relaxed, and Riku couldn't blame her—there was nothing like the sun over the ocean.

As he approached, Kairi heard his footsteps and turned around. "Hey, world-saving hero, way to be a bum," she taunted.

"I think I've earned myself a good nap," Riku responded casually, sitting down on the side of the dock. "How are you?"

"A bit sore, but I'm pretty okay otherwise," she replied. "You?"

"Same—I guess I could have expected the pain, though," he answered. He happened to cast a glance back to the island and nearly fell off the dock—he could have sworn he saw a mess of brown hair in the bushes.

"Um…you okay?" Kairi asked, puzzled.

"What? Oh, I'm just clumsy…must not be completely awake yet," he muttered, hoping his alibi would be successful.

She shook her head. "Yeah, okay. Maybe you should actually wake up when normal people do."

"Okay, give me a break—I just destroyed Ruxik!"

"So did I."

Riku shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Who dealt the final blow?"

"Who summoned a giant hammer that made him weak enough to kill?"

"You had help with that one."

"Could _you_ have done that alone?"

"Probably."

"You'd have to be a Princess of Heart, remember? So you'd have to be a girl…and I'm sure you wouldn't want that," Kairi retorted smartly.

Riku threw his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay, you win," he said. He looked back to the shore and saw a tall figure approaching. Knowing what was coming, he smiled widely as he turned to Kairi. "And, as the winner, you deserve a prize!"

"What, are you going to throw me in the ocean? If you do that, I swear…wait—where are you going?" She saw Riku leaving the dock. "Riku? Wait--what did I say?! How did I--"

She stopped midsentence. _Who's that over there? _She squinted for better vision and gasped at what she saw.

"No…way…" She rubbed her eyes and looked again. _That's no mirage…_ She spun around, stood up and took off running.

By this point Riku was back on shore, giving the approaching figure a triumphant high five. "She's all yours." He continued on his way, looking over his shoulder with a grin.

Kairi stopped only feet from this tall figure. The spiky brown hair, the soft blue eyes, the deeply tanned skin…it _had _to be an illusion.

"S-s-s…Sora?" She couldn't bring herself to believe it—until she heard his voice. That husky tenor, the unbreakable confidence, the strange ability to make a smile audible…

"That's me."

Kairi could have sworn time stopped. She stared dumbly for what felt like an hour, gaping at the gorgeous boy standing in front of her, the only boy she'd ever loved, the boy she hadn't seen in nearly a year, the boy whose absence had nearly ruined her…

And now he was back.

She tried to speak, but could not force any of the myriad of thoughts in her mind to make coherent words. Everything tried to leave her head at once, and none of it made sense. In desperation she threw her arms around Sora and cried. She had never felt so overwhelmed.

Sora quietly returned the favor, pulling Kairi closer and holding her for some time. Eventually he took a step back so that he could reach her face and wipe off a tear.

"Okay, now the sappy part's kicking in," a voice called obnoxiously. Kairi searched for the offender with a glare and saw Riku standing about twenty yards away.

"Guess that's my cue to leave," he added, turning his back. _That's what I get for ruining the moment, I guess_.

Kairi and Sora watched him leave for a few minutes before turning to face each other again, both enraptured by the other's smile. They stood silently for another few minutes before Kairi broke the silence.

"How…how did you get back?" She really didn't care how she was in this boy's arms again, but he had died, and returning from the dead seemed to be a topic worthy of conversation.

"Thank this guy," Sora replied. He shivered once, and an apparition of Roxas appeared by his side.

"Roxas? How?" This answer only spawned more questions from Kairi.

"Eh, I hunted for his body for a while, then I just hopped back in, and voila…life," Roxas replied with a shrug. "But really, don't thank me…thank her." He pointed to Kairi's torso.

"Me? What did I do?" Kairi looked down, confused…and gasped as she saw a familiar blonde in a white dress.

"Naminé?! I thought…you were…" She found herself tongue-tied again and finished her sentence with a hug before remembering that Naminé was intangible. Naminé returned the embrace, a wide smile on her face.

"Gone? Yeah, I was bailing out that punk," she laughed, pointing to Roxas. "I knew you needed Sora…he has half your heart, and Roxas has half of mine. You couldn't go on without him. I tried to help, but I'm not perfect…so I had to do something desperate. I couldn't tell you why I was going…I didn't know if I'd succeed, and I didn't know if Roxas would if I did. And if we failed…well, we saw what almost happened."

"Wait…you were there? With Ruxik?" Even in her state of emotional shock, Kairi caught this detail.

"I control memories, remember? I was looking into yours as soon as I got back to the island…I just couldn't find you in time. So anyway…you're probably thinking how I got him out. I stole the Oblivion Keychain and used it to open up Oblivion. It was basically a jailbreak. And then we landed here…the rest is history. Here's that keychain back, by the way." She revealed a keychain in the shape of a black crown attached to several loops of black chain.

"Naminé…" Kairi said, shaking her head in amazement as she took the keychain. "…You're the best."

"Aw, thanks, I try," Naminé answered happily. "But don't waste your time with me; I think you've got some catching up to do with that spiky-haired kid over there…"

"Same with you and the blonde one," Kairi retorted.

"Okay, I get it, we'll leave," Roxas said in false martyrdom, putting his arm around Naminé. "Come on, obviously they want some privacy for some reason…" Laughing, the two Nobodies walked further inland.

Beaming, Kairi turned back to Sora. "I don't know how they pulled that off."

"Me neither," Sora answered. "But I'm not complaining."

"Neither am I," Kairi said, placing her head on Sora's shoulder and smiling at how comfortable it was. Eventually she forced herself away to gaze into Sora's eyes again.

It was Sora who broke the silence (somewhat awkwardly) this time. "So…are…things with us…going back to how they were?"

"Mm-hm," Kairi mumbled.

"Any idea when that could happen?" The pleasure on Sora's face was radiant.

Kairi rolled her eyes slightly, feigning deep thought. "Mmm…now would be nice."

Sora couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Y'know, I couldn't stop thinking about you, Kairi."

She frowned. "You were dead!"

Sora shook his head, still smiling. "Some people kept me in some sort of limbo for a while—they told me that I might be back. So I had some time on my hands."

"And of all the people you know and all the things that could've gone through your mind, you thought about me? Not the fact that you were dead?"

"Why waste time thinking about what's not important?" Sora replied, still suave even after death. Noting Kairi's blush, he slowly pressed his lips to Kairi's. She was somewhat surprised, but she was far from complaining; soon not the tiniest part of her mind could escape from this boy.

Well, her mind had been that way for quite some time, but she was actually happy about it. No... "happy" didn't begin to describe the fire coursing through her veins.

* * *

"Man, they're not wasting any time…"

At this point Riku finally forced himself to stop watching the reunited couple. It wasn't meant to be a creeper's move; it was merely the result of curiosity. He wanted to see how Kairi would react to the sudden reappearing of her long-lost lover. He didn't feel snubbed by Sora—he knew the two would hang out soon, and they'd be the best of friends again within hours. He wasn't jealous of Sora either—Ruxik had promised the way to Kairi's heart, but he didn't want that. He couldn't take Kairi from Sora—he could never forgive himself, even if Kairi could.

_Why would Ruxik tell me that, though? Did he honestly think I was still fighting for Kairi's heart? He's not that stupid…he _was_ on his deathbed. Maybe he was desperate…_

_Whatever. I don't want to think about him right now. Sora's back, Kairi's okay, the worlds are safe for a while…everything's going to go back to normal soon._

His eyes happened to catch another glimpse of the lovers, still conjoined at the lip. He forced his gaze away and sighed.

_Which means I'll be going back to wishing I have what they have. _

* * *

_A/N: And that's the end! In case you were wondering, yes, a sequel is on the way, and hopefully I'll get that done in less than two years! God bless all of you readers; I've had a lot of fun with this! See you with the next story!  
_


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